The Story of Us
by summerdragonfly
Summary: Part humor + friendship. A Ryuki. Story of Ryo and Ruki(Rika)'s love and the hardships that came with it. Ryo gets amnesia; what about Rika? PG for slight language & thematic elements. Plz R/R! *FINALLY UPDATED 7-4-03!! CH 17 UP!!*
1. Prolouge: The New Boy

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
Prolouge  
The New Boy  
  
  
  
A/N: Wow, it sure is like me to yap a lot before starting a fic, isn't it? Well, sorry that I do,  
but I've kinda got to explain the fic ;D. Anyway, this is a Ryuki, if you hadn't already  
guessed ^^. This is the prolouge of many chapters to come. I know I still gotta finish my DBZ fic  
first, but I had this great hit of inspiration and I don't wanna wait until it starts to  
go away. But back to the point, this story explains the romance of Ryo and Ruki and the hardships  
they had to go through. Some parts will be songfics, I'll let you know which later. And also,  
if I don't get AT LEAST 5 REVIEWS IN A WEEK, I'm taking it down. Sorry, but I just don't see  
any point in continuing a fic no one reads. Well anyway, on to the show! Hope you enjoy!  
  
P.S. I've decided to use English dub names so that N/A readers can follow too. Therefore, Ruki  
is now Rika.  
  
  
KEY:  
  
* * Text in between stars shows what they're thinking.  
:: :: This will be rarely used, but text in between double colons is their actions.  
" " Quite obvious: text in between quotation marks means they're talking!   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A year after the D-Reaper. All the tamers are 14, except Ryo Akiyama, who is 15. Rika Nonaka  
was still going to her private school, apart from Takato, Henry, Jeri, Kazu and Kenta. They  
still hung out together after school and on weekends.   
  
Ryo, however, had gone to a faraway school in a different district. Since he lived about  
two hours from the rest of the gang, it was difficult to see him. At first, they visited him  
every month, then every other month, and now it was down to once a year.   
  
It was a normal weekday. Rika had woken up that morning, dreading school as usual, dreading the  
fact that she had to spend six hours in a boring classroom, listening to the teacher droning  
on about stuff she didn't care about. Except math. She did like that.   
  
It was third period. History. Rika started to draw on her notebook, making sketches and doodles  
of her d-arc(Note to North America fans: this is her digivice). Of course, she didn't use it   
anymore, for Renamon was in the digital world now. *I wonder what Renamon is doing right now.*   
Rika looked out the window, her brain zoning out of the teacher's dull drone about dead guys   
she'd rather not learn about.  
  
She stared mindlessly out the window. A car pulled up and a boy of about 15 got out of it, with   
a man who looked grumpy and mean. Something about that boy reminded Rika of...Ryo!  
Rika dropped her pencil. ::gasp::  
  
The teacher stopped talking abruptly. "Miss Nonaka, is something the matter?"  
  
Rika snapped out of it. She fumbled to keep her desk neat. "Um, nothing. Nothing at all."  
  
*What's Ryo doing here of all places?* she thought furiously. Had he come to visit her? No, he  
would've waited until she came home, at least. *Oh, what a show-off. Making a dramatic attempt  
to see me.* She smiled a little. *Wait, Rika, don't flatter yourself. He's probably here to..  
uh...what could he be here for?!*  
  
Just then there was a knock on the classroom door.   
  
"Ah, yes, I've been expecting this." the teacher went to open the door. "Uh, read chapter 13 in  
in your books quietly, class. I have something to attend to."  
  
The class took out their books and started reading, but Rika was still pondering as she  
turned to the correct page. *His clothes...* She looked around. *They looked like the boys'   
uniforms!*  
  
"Is he...no it couldn't be..."   
  
The boy next to her shushed her. "Sorry," she still looked at the door, where it stood slightly  
open, and the teacher was talking to the grumpy man. *That must be his dad.* She rethought it  
over. *No, maybe that's not Ryo. I mean, there are a lot of 15-year-old boys with spiky brown hair  
in West Shinjuku. Maybe it's just a look-a-like.* She turned her head so that her ear was closer  
to the door. *Or maybe...* She was pretending to read when she caught onto the last words of   
their conversation.  
  
"..yes..I'll make sure he's fine here."  
  
The teacher reached for the door knob and Rika's eyes snapped back to the book. The man had   
left. The teacher showed the boy into the room as the class looked at him. Rika gasped again.  
*It IS Ryo!*  
  
  
  
...end of the prolouge!  
  
  
P.S. Sorry if that was a little short. The next one'll be longer! That is, if I get at least 5   
reviews for this in a week. Thanks! 


	2. School

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
Chapter I  
School  
  
  
A/N: Wow thanks you guys for all the nice reviews. Well here it is: Chapter 1! It's a bit long. And  
my knowledge of Rika's school is really bad; I didn't know what it's name or what it looks like  
or if it's an all-girls school---but oh well. This is MY version of her school. Tee hee!   
Hope you like.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
*I can't believe it. He's gonna be a student here!* Rika looked at him in shock.  
  
The teacher cleared his throat. "Class, I'd like to introduce Ryo Akiyama. He will joining us  
here at West Shinjuku Academy for the Gifted(A/N: I don't know what the name of Rika's school  
is so I'm making up my own name. Hope that's ok.). Ryo, why don't you tell us about yourself?"  
  
"Uh," Ryo stared nervously around the classroom. "I moved here from about uptown..."  
  
*WAY uptown.* Rika was looking in all places but at Ryo. She didn't know why, but somehow  
she didn't know how to react to this.  
  
"What about your hobbies?" the teacher asked.  
  
"Uh...I like to play the Digimon Card Game."  
  
"That's right!" a boy from the back of the class suddenly yelled. "You're that guy who played  
Digimon Cards really well and just disappeared one day!"  
  
"Um," Ryo looked to his feet.  
  
"That's not polite. Detention for you." the teacher said sternly at the boy.  
  
"Sorry." he said, sitting down and looking quite embarrassed.  
  
"Well, why don't you take a seat, Ryo?"  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Anywhere that's open. How about right there to that girl's right?" the teacher pointed to  
any empty seat next to Rika. "Her name is Rika Nonaka."  
  
Rika was forced to look at him. "Hi." she said nervously.  
  
Ryo smiled back at her.   
  
"Rika, would you mind showing Ryo the ropes today? Giving him a tour of the school? Help him  
find his lessons maybe?"  
  
"Of--of course not."  
  
"Thank you, Rika. Take a seat, Ryo. We welcome you to History of Japan 101."  
  
Ryo went to sit down to Rika's right as the teacher continued giving his lecture.  
  
"Hello, Rika." Ryo said casually, taking things out of his school bag.  
  
"WHAT are you doing here?!" Rika hissed from the side of her mouth.  
  
"I moved." He gave her one of his trademark smiles.  
  
"You could've called."  
  
"I thought I'd just drop in and surprise my old friend."  
  
"Well, I'm surprised all right."  
  
"Of course Rika, I couldn't miss the oppurtunity to see you in a skirt."  
  
Rika looked at him and punched him playfully on the shoulder. She continued taking down notes.   
"Shut up." she laughed.  
  
They didn't talk again for the rest of the class. When the bell rang, Rika dashed out the  
door, Ryo close behind her.  
  
"I don't know what you're so upset about." Ryo jogged to keep up with her.  
  
"I don't know either, Ryo." She stopped suddenly, making Ryo come to a screeching halt.  
"I just--this is weird for me, that's all."  
  
They stood there awkwardly for a moment.   
  
Ryo finally broke the silence. "Um, can I ask you something?"  
  
"You just did." She smiled. "You can ask me something else, though."  
  
"Do you know where locker 537 is?" Ryo asked.  
  
"Um, sure, it's right down here..."  
  
*This is nice feeling.* Ryo thought. *Just walking with her. Someday I'll get the guts to tell  
her how I really feel.*   
  
"Here it is. This whole section right here is the 500's." Rika said, pointing to the lockers   
straight down the right side of the hall.  
  
"Where's your locker?" Ryo searched around for the paper on which his combination was written.  
  
"In the 600's." Rika leaned against the row of lockers.  
  
"That means..." Ryo pulled out his map of the school. "It's uh..." he was turning the map around  
and around.  
  
Rika laughed. "It's right over there, silly." She pointed to the row of lockers directly across  
the hall from the 500 lockers, on the left side of the hall. "640 is mine."  
  
"Oh. Right." Ryo said, shoving the map in the nearby trash can.  
  
"What'd you do that for?" Rika asked curiously.  
  
"Well, with you as my tour guide, who needs a map?" They both laughed.  
  
  
  
  
"This is the dining hall." Rika said, leading Ryo into a large room full of kids ages 11 to  
17, all either buying or eating their lunches.  
  
"You mean a cafeteria?" Ryo looked around.  
  
"No, here we call it a dining hall." Rika grabbed a lunch tray and got in line.  
  
"Rika? Where are you?" Ryo called.  
  
"Over here, you." She said, waving.  
  
"Oh thank God, I thought I was lost." Ryo chuckled.  
  
She handed him a lunch tray. "Here you go."  
  
"Thanks." He said, looking at the black lunch tray, which was more clean than the dishes at  
his house. It had the school symbol on it.   
  
"It's hot today." Rika took a apple and placed it on her tray, Ryo following suit.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You wanna eat outside?" Rika was deciding between a ham or turkey sandwich.  
  
"Outside?"  
  
"Yeah, over there, see?"  
  
Ryo stared out of the high glass windows at the rolling green land outside them, positioned  
under large shady trees.  
  
"Damn." he looked impressed. "Nice."  
  
"Of course it is." Rika said, finally deciding to take a turkey sandwich. "It HAS to be good  
for the Digimon Queen."  
  
Ryo laughed. "You still play?"  
  
"Only with Takato and the others. I'm out of the official game for good."  
  
"Oh."  
  
They came to the end of the buffet selection line. Rika took out a card from her bag.  
  
"What's that?" Ryo asked.  
  
"It's a Meal Card." Rika closed her bag. "Don't you have one?"  
  
"Uh--"  
  
Rika paid for her lunch by giving the woman her Meal Card. "You didn't get one yet?"  
  
"No, not exactly--"  
  
"You don't have a card?" said a boy behind Ryo. It was the same boy who called out in class.  
"Don't worry---I have one. I'll pay for you."  
  
"No, that's not necess--" Ryo started, but the woman read him his total. "Uh, hold on---"  
  
"Here you go." the boy gave the woman his Meal Card. "Charge his on mine."  
  
"Are you sure?" the lady asked.  
  
"Oh yeah." the boy smiled at Ryo.  
  
"Well, that's you done, my dear." the woman gave the boy back his card. "You have a nice friend here."  
  
"Uh---"  
  
The boy dragged Ryo over to the side. "Wow---thanks for letting me buy you lunch!"  
  
"What? Thank YOU!" Ryo said embarrassedly.  
  
"No prob! The name's Yakino. See you later."  
  
"Uh, bye..." Ryo turned back to Rika, who was smiling smugly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh please. As if you didn't know. Everywhere Ryo Akiyama goes, there's always a fan..."  
  
"Oh shut up." Ryo said, smiling.  
  
  
Lunch on the outside grounds was great. The grass was nicely cut and clean, and the picnic   
blankets provided for them was nice to sit on as they ate their lunches under a huge Oak.  
  
"Hey," Rika swallowed a chunk of her turkey sandwich. "Your lunch is exactly the same as mine."  
  
"Um, yeah.." Ryo said, looking down.  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"I just didn't wanna feel out of place."  
  
"Ryo, you don't have to worry about that here. On the outside, everyone acts likes snobs. But  
in the inside, they're all dorks, really."  
  
"You calling me a dork?"  
  
"No, you're not a dork."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"No, you're a nerd---"  
  
"Agghh!"  
  
Ryo knocked Rika over and they went tumbling down the mini-rise of grass, laughing.  
  
  
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Rika said, laughing.  
  
"I thought so." Ryo was still chuckling as they went back to their lunches.  
  
"I thought you hated apple sauce." Rika said, looking at his lunch.  
  
"I do."   
  
"Then why--"  
  
Just then, a classmate of theirs came over. It was a girl, who had long blonde hair down to her  
waist. Ryo noticed that she must've shrunken her skirt at least a dozen times because it was  
a lot shorter than Rika's.  
  
"Um, excuse me." she said.  
  
"What do you want, Mitsumi?" Rika said, looking annoyed.  
  
"None of your business, RIKA." Mitsumi said irritatedly. "I just wanted to talk to your friend  
here." They threw each other nasty looks.  
  
"So anyway," Mitsumi said to Ryo, adopting her cutie pie voice again. "They're saying around here   
that you're the new boy, Ryo Akiyama, that totally cool Digimon Card Player that vanished ever so  
mysteriously a long time ago. Is that you?"  
  
Rika shook her head violently at Ryo not to answer, but it was too late. "Yeah, I'm him."  
  
"OMIGOSH!!" Mitsumi squealed. "Girls!" She waved over to a group of girls sitting under a tree  
nearby. "Girls, it is him!!"  
  
"Who?" Ryo asked, confused.   
  
"IT'S RYO!!" Mitsumi squealed again.   
  
Her group of friends ran over and pushed Rika out of the way. They quickly formed a circle around  
Ryo and started to bombard him with compliments and questions.  
  
"Where was that pretty face of yours all this time?"  
  
"How did your beautiful eyes get so blue?"  
  
"I love the way your hair turns a gorgeous dark brown under the shade, Ryo!"  
  
"Please, girls---" Ryo said nervously. He looked around for Rika, who was standing outside the  
group of girls, looking quite angry. "Rika---"  
  
"See what I mean?" She was standing there with her arms crossed. "I'll leave you alone with  
these--these--monsters now. I understand how important it is that you spend time with your FAN   
CLUB!"  
  
And she stormed away. Ryo quickly got up, but then the girls took the oppurtunity to seize his  
arms and hang onto them.  
  
"Your biceps are so muscular, Ryo, do you work out often?" Mitsumi said.  
  
"Rika..." Ryo watched her storm away.  
  
  
  
She didn't talk to him again for the rest of the day, except when he needed her help on finding  
his classes. He thought that she was simply doing her duty out of the teacher's trust on her,  
and not doing it beacuse she wanted to.  
  
He tryed to talk to her in the library, which was starting to work until it seemed that Mitsumi   
and her friends had stalked him there and started to talk to him again. Rika got angry again  
and left, not before throwing a pile of books on his foot.  
  
Now it was after school. Rika walked out of the school gates and started to walk home, until   
Ryo caught up with her.  
  
"Hey Rika."  
  
"Yeah?" She turned around. Then she saw him. "Oh, it's you."   
  
She started to walk faster.  
  
"Rika, I'm sorry! It's not my fault! Those girls---they're crazy! I've been trying to get away  
from them all day! I really am sorry! I don't know what I can do to---"  
  
She turned around and looked at him. "So, where they now?"  
  
"At cheerleading practice, I suppose, but---"  
  
"Why don't you go join them then?"  
  
"Because--because--" he stopped right there. *If I go any further, I'll just end up telling her  
how much I like her.*  
  
"I knew it." Rika said, turning around.  
  
"No, Rika, wait---" Ryo held her wrist.  
  
"Let me go." Rika said angrily.  
  
"Rika,"  
  
"Talk your friggin' hands off me!"  
  
People were starting to look.  
  
"Rika, please, just talk to me. Just give me a chance to explain."  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
"Because..." *This is the only way.* "There are some important things I need to tell you."  
  
  
  
Ten minutes later, they were sitting on the highest row of bleachers, looking over the track  
and grass field.  
  
"...so that's why I guess they follow me. I don't want to be worshipped, Rika. I just want to be  
me. I'm sorry." Ryo finished, sighing.  
  
Rika sighed, too. "No, I'm the one that should be sorry. I just got so mad. Sometimes I'm just  
so annoyed by your perfection, Ryo and---"  
  
"I don't know what to do."  
  
She turned to look at him. "There's nothing you can do. I'm so stupid."  
  
"Don't say that."  
  
"I am. I went to crazy over some girls following you. I'm sorry I dropped those books on your  
foot---"  
  
"It's ok, really. It's starting to feel better."  
  
"I'm so sorry, Ryo."  
  
"It's fine, but uh.."  
  
"What?"  
  
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous."  
  
"Of what, a fan club? No thank you."  
  
"No, I mean because of all those girls swarming around me."  
  
"Excuse me? I am NOT jealous! Why would you think--"  
  
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry! Gosh."  
  
They both sat there for a moment, looking out into the cloudless sky.  
  
"I'm glad you're back. I really am."  
  
"Are you?"  
  
"Of course. You have no idea how much I've missed you."  
  
"Ok. Who are you and what have you done with Rika?" Ryo laughed.  
  
Rika laughed too. "It's true, really it is. After you stopped calling me..."  
  
"I'm sorry bout that."  
  
"It's ok." Rika got up. "I have to go home now or my mom would call ballistic."  
  
"I understand. I have to go too."  
  
"It was great to see you." *You can do this Rika. Just do it.*  
  
She hugged him awkwardly. Ryo suddenly felt warmer.  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Wait, Rika."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
*You can do this Ryo. Just do it.*  
  
He bent down and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"Thanks for showing me around today. It was good to talk to you again. See you tomorrow."  
  
Rika blushed to the roots of her chestnut hair.  
  
"Um yeah...see you."  
  
Ryo was actually the one to get off the bleachers. Rika watched him until he was out of sight.  
She sat there, and touched her cheek.  
  
*Ryo just kissed me right here...*  
  
She stared out into the sky.  
  
  
  
...end of Chapter I!  
  
  
A/N: Heehee! Here's where some REAL sparks fly! Hope you liked it! ;D More to come soon! 


	3. Reunion and New Feelings Discovered

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
Chapter II  
Reunion and Newly Discovered Feelings  
  
  
  
A/N: Ok, I used some Japanese terms/words in here(and in future chapters) that I kinda have to   
explain for N/A readers:  
  
-chan: A friendly(and sometimes affectionate) term for familiar females you feel comfortable   
around  
-kun: Just like -chan but used for males  
Tousan: father.  
baka: Means "idiot" or "dumb one".  
Ai Shiteru: "I Love You".  
Sayanora: Goodbye.  
Gomen nasai: Sorry.   
kawaii: means "cute" aka Calumon! Heehee.  
  
Of course, my Japanese is nowhere near good, so if I made a mistake or two please someone email  
me(Gapgurl199@aol.com) about it. And oh, if anyone knows the term for "mother", please tell me!  
It's been a while since I've written Anime so I'm afraid I've forgotten. I think it's Oaksan or  
Oakasan or something like that...please tell me? And is "sorry" gomen or gomen nasai? Dammit, my  
memory is so bad. It's both, isn't it? If anyone knows, please tell me. Thanks! Enjoy!  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
"Tousan, I'm home!" Ryo closed the door behind him.  
  
There was no answer.   
  
"Figures." Ryo climbed the stairs to his room where he started review his welcome packet that  
he had recieved.  
  
He reflected on the conversation he had had with Rika. *I don't think she's ever listened to  
anyone as deeply as she listened to me.*  
  
::smiles::  
  
"Oh, Rika, if I could only tell you..."  
  
He never thought that he'd fall for someone like Rika.   
  
"She's so...so..." Ryo couldn't find the words to describe her.  
  
*Sure there's smart, pretty, sophisticated, mature...*  
  
But no exact words to describe Rika. And no words to describe his feelings for her.  
  
He was shocked that he actually pulled off talking to Rika without telling her that he liked her.  
  
But it was only a matter of time before he did.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Rika came into her home still feeling half-shocked, half happy.  
  
"Rika? Is that you, dear?" said a voice from the kitchen.  
  
"Yeah, it's me, Grandma." Rika came in the kitchen. "Where's my mother?"  
  
"At a fashion show. She'll be back later."  
  
Rika's grandmother looked at her.  
  
"What is it?" Rika took a water bottle out of the refrigerator.  
  
"Nothing. You seem different today."  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
"You're blushing."  
  
"No, I'm not!" *Damn, I'm STILL blushing?!*  
  
"Something happened!" her grandmother said. "With a boy, didn't it?"  
  
"Of course not!"  
  
"Yes it did."  
  
"That's silly, I don't know what you're talking about." Rika took a sip of water. "I--uh gotta  
do homework now. See you later, Grandma."  
  
"Whenever you feel like talking about it is fine." her grandmother smiled.  
  
"I still don't know what you're talking about!" Rika pulled the screen door to her room close.  
  
  
  
Rika lied down on her sleeping mat and exhaled a couple of times.  
  
"What is with the third degree?" She said, rolling her eyes.  
  
Just then, the phone rang. She let it ring twice before picking it up.  
  
"Hello? Nonaka residence, Rika speaking."  
  
"Hi Rika? It's me, Jeri."  
  
"Oh, hi, Jeri. What's new?"  
  
"Nothing, really. I was just wondering if you were going to meet me and the others at the  
park today."  
  
"Well..." she looked at the clock. "I was going to write my paper but...my mom's not home so  
I guess it's ok."  
  
"Ok, I'll see you there in 10."  
  
"Bye, Jeri."  
  
This was perfect; an oppurtunity to take her mind off of the Ryo thing!  
  
Rika got up and changed into her heart T-shirt and blue jeans. She put on her light blue jacket  
and went up to the mirror.  
  
*This is strange. I've never felt so self-concious before.*  
  
She twirled around. *Wait, what am I doing?*  
  
She scoffed and tightened her ponytail. *Ryo, what are you doing to me?*  
  
And she headed out the door.  
  
  
* * *  
  
When Rika got to the park, everyone was already there. Kazu and Kenta were arguing again, Henry  
was deep in thought and Takato and Jeri were having a nice conversation. There was also another  
figure in the background she couldn't make out, but she assumed it was just some guy going to the  
park.  
  
"Hey," she said, and they all greeted her back. "You guys won't believe who showed up at my  
school today---?!"  
  
The dark figure in the background emerged and she saw that it was Ryo. "Hi."  
  
"Wha---you guys---"  
  
"Yeah, we knew." Kazu laughed.  
  
"For how long?" Rika sounded annoyed.  
  
"Three weeks." Jeri said in a mousy sort of voice.  
  
"I can't believe you guys would keep something like this a secret from me!" Rika said.  
  
"Actually, it was my fault, I kinda asked them to keep it a secret." Ryo admitted.  
  
"He called us three weeks ago and said that he would be moving here in a couple of weeks." Takato  
laughed.  
  
"But why---" Rika looked at all of them.  
  
"--because I wanted to surprise you?" Ryo started to blush.  
  
"What? Surprise me? Why only me?"   
  
At a look from Ryo, Kenta cutted in. "Wow! Strange weather we're having, eh?" Kenta pointed at   
the sky. "Just 20 minutes ago it was cloudless and now it's all gray."  
  
"Yeah, you're right." Kazu said, looking up.   
  
They all started to look up, except Rika and Jeri.  
  
"Rika, can I talk to you?" Jeri asked.  
  
"Um, sure. I kinda want to get away from these weather freaks right now." she laughed.  
  
  
  
Jeri explained that the reason Ryo wanted to keep his coming back a secret from Rika was that  
he truly had a crush on her. This had really shocked Rika, and she tried to get a word in, but  
Jeri just wanted to get her part over with.  
  
"So you see, he had this big plan for wanting to surprise you with his return and all, because  
well...he really really likes you Rika." Jeri finished, taking a deep breath.  
  
Rika sat down on the park bench. "Wow...I---I had no idea."  
  
"Yeah." Jeri sat down next to her. "They'll probably all kill me for telling you, but I just  
couldn't keep it in anymore."  
  
"No, that's ok, Jeri, I should thank you really." Rika was still baffled. "Ryo..like me? Are you  
sure?"  
  
"Positive. He told us himself."  
  
"But why...?"  
  
"According to him you're the most wonderful person he's ever met, Rika." Jeri smiled.  
  
"Oh my gosh...I'm still so...so..confused. All that time..and today..." She widened her eyes  
and sighed.  
  
"What happened today?"  
  
"Well..." Rika started to blush. "We had a really nice talk, and he..he..kissed me on the cheek."  
  
Jeri smiled even wider. "See? It's so obvious."  
  
"What should I do?"  
  
"Well, how do YOU feel about him?"  
  
Rika looked at the ground and smiled a kind of smile that only really happy people smile.  
"He's so sweet, and kind...he can be a little bit of an egotistical jerk sometimes but.."  
  
"But?"  
  
"I really enjoy spending time with him, and I feel that I can really trust him. It's strange,  
but even when I first met him at the Tournament I felt this sort of strange connection to him...  
like...like..."  
  
"Like you were destined to meet?"  
  
Jeri could tell Rika had a hard time saying all this. "..yeah I guess. It feels so great to  
spend time with him, and talking to him makes me happy."  
  
She had a happy glow in her eyes.  
  
  
Just then, Ryo was talking about Rika to the other boys.  
  
"Even when she had a hard time showing her feelings I knew that she wanted to...and somehow  
those eyes just make all the bad things go away..."  
  
"You're kidding right?" Henry asked. "OUR Rika Nonaka?"   
  
Ryo laughed. "Yeah, I know it's kinda hard to believe---"  
  
"KINDA hard? Try ferociously difficult." Kazu said.  
  
"You guys just don't know her like I do. That's what made me develop feelings for her...her  
personality. So wise yet sometimes vain. She has a caring soul, it's just that she has a hard time  
believing that she does. ...just being around her is intoxicating. It makes me feel so happy. It's  
weird."  
  
  
  
Suddenly Rika felt weird.   
  
"What is it?" Jeri asked.  
  
"I think---I think---"  
  
"That you like him too?"  
  
"No..I don't THINK so..."  
  
"Rika, I don't know what your problem is. It's perfectly fine to like someone."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Totally. Just hearing you talk about him gives it away."  
  
"I dunno...this is all to strange."  
  
*I can't believe this.* Rika thought. *I've never felt like this about anybody else before...maybe  
I just need some time to think this through.*  
  
As she thought that, the clouds cleared up and the sun came streaming through.  
  
"Hey, look!" Jeri got up and laughed. "Look, Rika, the sun came out!"  
  
"Yeah, it did!"  
  
  
  
"Oh, cool, it's sunny again!" Takato said.  
  
The others smiled as Rika and Jeri met up with them again.  
  
"So what did you girls talk about? Not me I hope!" Kenta asked.  
  
Jeri grinned.  
  
Rika looked at Ryo.  
  
  
  
...end of Chapter II!  
  
  
A/N: Bwahahahaha, I'm so evil, leaving you hanging like that. But I'll update again soon. I hope.  
I've already started school, ::shudders:: so I don't know how often I'll be able to update. Well thanks for reading.   
Plz keep the reviews coming and see you next time! (...if i havent got a paper to write...) 


	4. Some Deep Soul Searching

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
Chapter III  
Some Deep Soul-Searching  
  
  
A/N: This is was really hard to write. As with all Ryuki fics, it's so difficult to keep them  
in character and still pair them together. Oh well. I did my best. They can be a little ooc, but  
I think I still got it OK. WARNING: I hope you don't have anything to do for a while. This is  
going to be long! Enjoy! ;D  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rika looked at her clock. It was only 1:30.  
  
"Aww man, be morning already!"  
  
She had been tossing and turning on her sleeping mat for hours, not being able to sleep.   
  
*This is so ridiculous. Why does he have such a great impact on me? On my life? Even my sleep!*  
Rika thought angrily, staring up at the ceiling. *When I'll finally be able to sleep, I'm   
probably going to dream about him or something...*  
  
Rika sighed heavily. *What is wrong with me? Do I really love Ryo? Do I even like him? This is  
so crazy. Maybe I'm losing my mind.*  
  
*I'll never understand Ryo. He cares so much, yet sees so little. What a weird guy.*  
  
Rika closed her eyes and snuggled deeper under the cover. *How can someone be so arrogant...yet  
so wonderful?*  
  
*He's good at everything...adored by everyone...and yet he's such a nut.*  
  
She smiled. *And not to mention, he's good at hiding his feelings.*  
  
*Something I'll never master.*  
  
  
  
  
Ryo lied fully awake. He was so awake that he could run a marathon right now. It had been hours  
and still he wasn't able to sleep a wink.  
  
*This whole Rika thing is so complicated. I wish she would just tell me how she feels and let it  
be done with.*  
  
He looked at the clock and groaned. *Not even close to morning.*  
  
Ryo turned over and over again. *What if she doesn't like me back? I don't think I could take it.*  
  
*Wait. What am I talking about? What did I just think?*  
  
*Good lord! I just don't like her...I think I'm kinda in love with her!*  
  
Ryo shook his head furiously. *That's impossible. I'm only 15 and 5 months old. I can't be in   
love.*  
  
"How sappy do I sound?" Ryo laughed.  
  
*Maybe I'll try to mull things over in the morning.*  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Sunlight streamed through Rika's screen door and she squinted and wrinkled her forehead. She turned  
over the other way.   
  
*Go away.* she mentally told the sunlight.  
  
"Rika? Honey?" her mother's voice was drawing closer. Soon, Rumiko was in her room, and was shaking  
her awake. "Wake up, it's time to go to school."  
  
*School? What's that?* Rika was still half-asleep. *Oh yes, I remember. Place of torture. And I  
know who's going to be there.*  
  
Her eyes snapped open. "That's better. Now, brush your teeth and get dressed. Breakfast's almost  
ready." Her mother left.  
  
*I remember now...that whole Ryo thing. I was hoping it would be over.*  
  
Rika stumbled on her way to the bathroom. "Let's just hope I won't have to talk to him today..."  
  
* * *  
  
She couldn't be more wrong. As soon as she entered P.E., which was her first class of the day,  
she saw Ryo upon exiting the girls' lockeroom.  
  
*Oh, no.* Rika quickly ran over to hide in line.  
  
Ryo saw her and knew it was obvious that she was avoiding him. His heart sank a little, but he  
tried to respect her wishes.  
  
The P.E. teacher, Mr. Nasaki, was a short, stout little man with a kind face. he looked at them   
all.  
  
"So!" the P.E. teacher looked at them excitedly. "As I told all of you yesterday, we will begin  
our Track & Field unit today. It will acquire for 30% of your grade, so I expect you to take it  
seriously."  
  
Rika heard him, but her mind was on something else. She glanced over to look at Ryo.  
  
*God, she's looking at me.* Ryo thought. *What to do..what to do...I know! I'll just look at her  
and smile.* He smiled.  
  
*That's it? I rack my brain for ideas how to talk to him and all he does is smile?* Rika thought.  
  
*Uh, she's not looking happy. What do I do? Ryo, you baka, stop smiling.* Ryo stopped smiling.  
  
*Great, now I got him mad.* Rika started biting her nails. *Now what?*  
  
"Miss Nonaka, Mr. Akiyama, as soon as you two stop making googly eyes at each other, we can  
begin." Mr. Nasaki said, and the entire class laughed.  
  
Rika blushed slightly, Ryo looked down. *Now I got her in trouble.*  
  
  
As the the class progessed, the students engaged in all sorts of track and field activities. Rika  
found the long jumps to be especially easy. The other girls clapped and looked at her in admiration   
as she broke the school long jump record.  
  
"Excellent jump, Nonaka! Full marks!" Mr. Nasaki scribbled something on his clip board.  
  
Rika smiled when she heard the rest of the class cheering, standing in a circle to watch the mile  
run race.  
  
"What's all this about?" she asked the nearest person.  
  
"That new guy, Ryo, is unbelieveably fast!" the boy shouted excitedly.  
  
And so he was. Rika watched him run around the track, almost lapping his opponent.  
  
It was like the whole world faded away. All there was was Ryo, still running and Rika watching  
him. It was a magical feeling, yet disturbing at the same time.  
  
When the race ended, and Ryo had beaten his opponent, he got endless praise from Mr. Nasaki as  
well as the other kids.  
  
*Ryo. Always the perfectionist.* Rika thought, half jealous, half happy for him.  
  
Ryo came up to her. "So Rika, whatcha think?"  
  
Rika shrugged. "That was pretty good. For a boy."  
  
"Where have I heard that before?"  
  
They both laughed.  
  
"On a more serious note, I think we need to talk about something," Ryo added.  
  
Rika decided to play dumb. "What thing?"  
  
"Rika-chan, you know what I'm talking about."  
  
"I---"  
  
Just then, the whistle blew for them to line up. Glad of an oppurtunity to avoid talking about  
"the thing", Rika ran over to the girls' line quickly.  
  
"Good job, today people." Mr. Nasaki said. "I'm proud of all of you. See you tomorrow."  
  
As the class headed back to the locker rooms, Rika went a little ahead so that she was unseen  
by Ryo. She wasn't ready to talk to him about "the thing" yet.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
West Shinjuku park. It was sunset, and the parents began taking their kids home. Rika was sitting  
on the jungle gym, looking out onto the multi-colored sky. She was doing some serious thinking.  
  
She then heard a laugh that made her look down. It was Henry and his sister!   
  
"Hey," she waved.  
  
"Hi, Rika!" little Susie giggled.  
  
"Hello," Henry smiled, then noticed her looking down. "Uh, Susie, go play with those ducks, won't  
you?"  
  
"Yay!" Susie ran over to the pond.  
  
Henry climbed up on the jungle gym and sat next to Rika. "What's up?"  
  
Rika sighed. "You know---about Ryo--"  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"Does he--what I mean to say is---does he---"  
  
"Like you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"More than that. He's practically in love with you, Rika."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Being so perfect, you would think that the guy would be a little better at hiding his feelings.  
Even an person who didn't know Ryo could tell."  
  
Rika groaned. "I was afraid of that!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
Rika looked at the sky again, which was now a mix of pink and orange. "To tell you the truth, I   
don't know, either. My mind hasn't caught up with the series of events lately. It's just pretty  
much 'Feelings bad, Ryo good'. You know what I mean?"  
  
Henry nodded. "I understand. Those days when you just don't want to catch up with the rest of the  
world."  
  
"Exactly! Today when I was watching him run, it's like the world just disappered around us, you  
know?"  
  
Henry laughed. "Yeah, I know."  
  
"What? What's so funny?" Rika punched him in the arm. "Tell me!"  
  
"Ow!" Henry laughed some more. "You'd probably slaughter me if I did."  
  
"Henry, you know I'm not like that anymore. Just tell me, OK?"  
  
Henry smiled. "It's so obvious. You like him too."  
  
Rika gasped. "That's what Jeri said!"  
  
"See? I'm not the only one that thinks so."  
  
Rika frowned. "I don't know if I do."  
  
"And you know what else?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"No, if I told you, you'd kill me and send me straight to Hell." Henry laughed nervously.  
  
"I will not!" Rika hit him in the shoulder again. "Tell me."  
  
"Well, Rika, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were in love with him too."  
  
Rika gasped and starting mouthing nonsense. She scoffed. "I can't believe you would say that. I'm   
outta here."  
  
"Rika---!"  
  
Rika hopped off the jungle gym. "See you later, Susie!" she called to Susie, who was still splashing  
in the pond.   
  
Susie giggled. "Bye!"  
  
*Aww man.* Henry thought, watching her run off. *She must be really mad at me. She even said bye  
to Susie!*  
  
"Rika. When will you realize that there's nothing wrong with being in love?"  
  
* * *  
  
"And then he said that I'm in love with Ryo! He has some nerve---" Rika complained.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't put it past Henry to lie." Takato said.  
  
Rika and Takato were talking on the phone. Rika was pacing up and down her room, as if she was  
trying to dig a whole in the floor.   
  
"What do you mean by that?" Rika said, starting to get annoyed.  
  
"Jeri told me that---"  
  
"Jeri told YOU? About OUR conversation?"  
  
"Well---no---she kinda did actually when we were at the ice cream shop the other day---"  
  
"What?! And I bet she told Henry too!"  
  
"Rika, calm down---" Takato said nervously.  
  
"No! No, I will not calm down, Takato! What gives you people the right to discuss my love life--  
including who I like and not like---" she said, making Takato recoil from the other end.   
"---over hot fudge sundaes?!"  
  
"Rika, we're sorry but---we all just want what's best for you."  
  
"And what's that?! For me to say I'm love with Ryo?! Well I do love him---" She stopped there and  
gasped. "Scratch that---I--I--I didn't say that! Forget it!"  
  
She threw the phone back on its receiver as if it were a poisonous spider. She screamed in anger.   
*What is with these..these..children lately?*  
  
Suddenly the phone rang again. *This better not be Matsuki again.*  
  
"What?!" she said angrily.  
  
"R-r-rika? It's me, Jeri." Jeri said quietly.  
  
"I'm kinda mad at you right now."  
  
"Rika, just hear me out, please? I know it was really really wrong of me to tell Takato and  
Henry about our conversation the other day---and believe me, I wish that there was another way---  
it's just that...that...what is wrong with you Rika? How come you won't admit it?"  
  
"Admit what?"  
  
Jeri sighed. "Never mind. It's not important. Let's not fight, OK? Listen...how about hanging out   
with me tomorrow? We can go that carnival they're having at the wharf...it'll be fun..."  
  
"And why should we do that?"  
  
"To take our mind off this, Rika. It's gotten way too complicated and I would really enjoy it if  
I could spend a day with my best friend."  
  
Rika half-smiled. "Best friend? Really?"  
  
"Totally. And it'll give us a chance to talk. NOT about Ryo." She added, correctly interpreting  
Rika's silence.  
  
"All right. I'll see you there around 12 tomorrow. Good night."  
  
"Good night, Rika."  
  
* * *  
  
Ryo poked at his dinner. *What did I do to get her so angry?* he thought sadly. *If only I could  
make things better...no, I'd probably just make them worse...* Ryo had gotten a phone call from  
Takato, telling him all about what Rika had said.  
  
After dinner, Ryo retreated to his room where he did his homework, but with little success. His  
mind was still on Rika, had it been for the past few days.  
  
He reached for the phone, and hesistated. *Would talking to her be a mistake? I want to let her  
know that I'm sorry for everything, but...she'll just probably hang up on me.*  
  
Ryo tapped the desk with his pencil and sighed. *Maybe I should move on. She'll probably  
never return my feelings. Besides, what great news would it be to my 'fan club'?*  
  
Ryo yawned and turned off the light. As he crawled into his bed, he looked out at the window, at  
the bright shining moon. He pictured Rika's face in it, smiling, her pretty violet eyes gleaming.  
  
"All I want is for you to be happy, Rika-chan."  
  
It was quite a long time before Ryo fell asleep. He had a dreamless sleep, yet his conscience still  
had a heavy feeling.  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Oh, isn't this cute!" Jeri squealed, pointing to a stuffed animal in a shop window.  
  
"I dunno, it's a bit lame." Rika said.  
  
Rika and Jeri were at the carnival, which was held at the docks this year.   
  
"Well, I think it's cute." Jeri said, pulling on her friend's arm. "Let's go!"  
  
After Jeri had bought the enormous stuffed animal(which was dressed in a lacy pink dress), the girls  
had continued to walk around, looking at lots of different shops.  
  
"They've really gone all-out this year." Rika looked around.  
  
"Yeah, like the boat rides around the harbor!" Jeri watched ferries park on the wharf.  
  
Rika smiled looking at all the happy families together, having fun. She also saw many joyful  
couples, hand-in-hand, walking and sharing cotton candy. She stopped smiling.  
  
"What's wrong?" Jeri asked.  
  
"Oh, it's nothing really."   
  
"Oooh, look, Rika!" Jeri pointed at a psychic shop.  
  
"Oh, no, Jeri. I don't believe in fortune tellers." Rika said, laughing. "They're all a bunch of  
frauds."  
  
"Lighten up, Rika!" Jeri giggled. "You haven't even been to one. They're great, really!"  
  
And she dragged Rika over to the psychic shop. As they entered, they walked into a misty atmosphere  
and heavy smoke were their ankles. There were hangings from the tent ceiling of different cards  
and planets, with different signs and symbols.  
  
"Isn't this great?" Jeri said excitedly.  
  
"Ahhh..." came a misty voice from behind the curtain. "I sensed it was you."  
  
Rika looked at the curtain. "Who?"  
  
"I knew you'd bring a friend."  
  
Rika and Jeri looked at each other.  
  
"Come one in, your destiny awaits.' said the misty voice.  
  
Jeri and Rika lifted the curtain and went inside to find a small room. There was a round table  
with two chairs set before them. A woman sat behind the table, heavily covered in necklaces of   
all kinds, wearing a turban and wrapped in a thick shawl. Her overly eyeshadowed eyes leared at  
them and she smiled to show crooked teeth.  
  
"Please," she said. "Sit down, my dears."  
  
Rika and Jeri cautiously sat down. "How much will this cost us?" Jeri asked.  
  
"Alas, no price is too much to see your destiny." she said in the same mysterious voice.  
  
"I'll give you 10 yen." Rika said.  
  
"Fair enough...since you're only mere teenagers..very well."  
  
Rika paid the psychic. "You better not be wrong."  
  
"I assure you...I'm highly trained." The psychic looked into her crystal ball.  
  
How long they sat there, Rika didn't know. 15 minutes? 20? It was an awful long time before the  
psychic spoke up.  
  
"Listen, lady, we're busy, so you'd better hurry up---" Rika said impatiently.  
  
"Yes!" the psychic said suddenly, making them both jump. "I see something!"  
  
"What is it?" Jeri asked.  
  
The psychic looked at Rika. "It's about you, my dear."  
  
Rika blinked. "About me? What does it say?"  
  
"...I see a boy."  
  
"A boy?"  
  
"About your age. Brown hair, blue eyes...make that spiky brown hair."  
  
Rika gulped.  
  
"This boy...he recently joined your school?"  
  
"Yes! What else do you see?"  
  
"He's sad."  
  
"He's sad?"  
  
"Afraid of him, are you?"  
  
"I don't think so..."  
  
"He has intense feelings for you."  
  
"He does?" Rika gulped again. *Is she talking about Ryo?*  
  
"And you are in love with him."  
  
Rika gasped. "I don't know what you're talking about!" She looked into the crystal ball. "All I can  
see is white fluff."  
  
The psychic smiled again. "All right then. I can do tarot cards." Her smile faded. "But it'll cost  
you."  
  
Rika hesitated. *I have to find out what this means.* She paid the psychic another 10 yen. "OK...  
Do it right."  
  
The psychic put away her crystal ball and got out a stack of cards. She once again did not speak  
for a really long time.  
  
"Slow, isn't she?" Jeri said.  
  
Finally, the psychic picked up a card from a face down stack.  
  
"Alas, it is the love card!"  
  
Rika looked at the card. It had a deep red heart on it and a picture of a boy and girl with brown  
hair.  
  
"Pick another one or something." Rika said, starting to get nervous.  
  
She picked another one. "The soul card. Care to read it?"  
  
Rika read the card. "You will join souls with the one you love." She looked at the psychic. "That's  
impossible. Let me do it this time."  
  
Before the psychic could object, Rika had taken the deck of cards from her and started to shuffle  
them around. Then she picked a card from right in the middle of the stack.  
  
"The heart card." Jeri read.   
  
"Altough you think you have it, your heart will always belong in the hands of your beloved."  
Rika finished, looking up at the psychic.  
  
"Your beloved. He very well may be the boy in the crystal ball!" Jeri said.  
  
"F-f-forget it." Rika said nervously. "I was right before and I'm right again. Fortune telling is  
nothing but a load of crap they use to rip you off. Come one Jeri, we're out of here."  
  
Rika tossed the curtain aside and walked angrily out. Jeri shrugged and ran after her.  
  
"What was that?"   
  
"I dunno." Rika said, stopping. "What does this mean, Jeri?"  
  
"It's what me, Takato and Henry have been trying to tell you, Rika. Maybe you're in love with Ry--"  
  
"DON'T say it." Rika snapped, and Jeri fell silent.  
  
They continued to do some shopping and having fun. They bought cotton candy and ate it on a park  
bench. When they finished, Rika took out her wallet and started counting the change while walking.  
  
"Last time I ever bring big money to a carnival--" she said, when she bumped into someone. "Oww!"  
She rubbed her head, and everything was black. She readjusted her hat and looked up at the stranger.  
  
"Sorry, I---Ryo?" she said.   
  
"Hi, Rika. Sorry about that." Ryo said nervously, helping her pick up her stuff.  
  
"It's ok."   
  
Ryo could tell that she was in an uncomfortable disposition. He sighed and helped her pick up  
the last of her stuff. Both their hands came to pick up a shopping bag and they accidently touched  
each other's hands. They both blushed.  
  
"Hi Jeri." Ryo said after getting up.  
  
"Hi, Ryo." Jeri was fighting a laugh. "Well uh--I gotta--uh use the ladies' room. See ya in a  
bit, Rika." she ran off.  
  
"What's with her?" Ryo said curiously.  
  
"Who knows."  
  
They looked awkwardly at each other.   
  
"Um, I gotta go." Rika said suddenly. "See you later, Ryo-kun."  
  
"Rika, wait."   
  
Rika turned around. "What is it?"  
  
"I---I--I got this feeling you're mad at me." he said. "It's like---you don't want to be friends  
anymore."  
  
Rika gasped. "Oh, no, no, Ryo, don't think that."  
  
"Gomen, but I just can't help feeling---"  
  
"Ryo-kun, does this have anything to do with---us?"  
  
"Hai. It does, I guess."  
  
"I--I know."  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"About your feelings. For me."  
  
"You do?" Ryo started to blush furiously. "'Cause that's ok. Rika, I just want you to understand.  
I'll never try to be anything more than a friend to you. That is--if you want me to---" Ryo stopped  
there, as if something hit him about how stupid he was sounding.  
  
Rika laughed.   
  
"What?"  
  
"Ryo, you're so funny."  
  
"You'd think so, wouldn't you?"  
  
"What? What are you talking about?" Rika was taken aback.  
  
"Rika-chan, I---I'm sorry, all right? I see now that it was a big mistake falling for you."  
  
Rika was shocked. "Why would you say that?" She looked like she was about to cry.  
  
"Great, see? Now I got you crying, too." Ryo turned away. "I--everything I do, it's not good enough  
for you. I don't deserve you, Rika."  
  
"Ryo, stop saying things like that and just tell me what you mean!"  
  
"It was a mistake falling for you because--because--you're obviously afraid."  
  
Now Rika was getting angry. "Afraid? Of what?! Of you?"  
  
"I don't know! You tell me!"  
  
"Ryo..."  
  
"One minute you want to be friends, the next you're yelling at me. Let me tell you what I think  
you're afraid of. Having someone love you."  
  
"And why would I be afraid of that?!" Rika yelled.  
  
"Because...because you might love them, too."  
  
Rika looked down. She then looked at him. "Look..."  
  
She went over the railing of the boardwalk and watched the boats float along the bay.  
  
"...this is all so weird for me."  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"I've had guys like me before, but never someone like you Ryo...I got so caught up in being this..  
this...souless girl that I was that I never noticed that there could actually be people who could  
love me for me." she paused to sigh. "And that's when you came along."  
  
"I--I don't understand."  
  
"The reason I've been so harsh about this whole thing is---you're right, Ryo. I AM afraid of someone  
having feelings for me. Partly, yes, because I'm afraid I might like them back too. But partly  
because...I'm afraid I'm not good enough for them." She felt hot tears welling up in her eyes. She  
quickly wiped them away.  
  
"I don't know what to say." Ryo said.  
  
"It's best if you don't say anything. I don't know what my feelings for you are right now. I feel  
so lost. It's so strange."  
  
"I still don't know what you're saying."  
  
Rika shaked her head. "No, no, it's not important."  
  
"Sure it is, you---"  
  
"I really gotta go now. See you later."   
  
* * *  
  
Later that night...  
  
  
Rika's mother, Rumiko, was at the kitchen table doing some paperwork. Rika came up to her.  
  
"Mom?"  
  
"Yes, dear?"  
  
"Do you have a minute?"  
  
"Maybe, why?"  
  
"I'm afraid I have a rather hard question to ask."  
  
Rumiko put her pen and glasses down. *Finally, she's opening up to me.*  
  
"Well take a seat, dear, and tell me all about it." Rumiko pointed the chair next to her.  
  
"I don't know how to say this," Rika took a sip from her glass of water. "But promise you won't  
laugh at me?"  
  
"Of course not. Shoot."  
  
"Well, here goes..." Rika sighed. "So, my--uh--friend from school has this big problem. She wants  
to know how do you know when you're in love?"  
  
Rumiko frowned at Rika, not as though she was angry, but she was thinking of an answer.  
  
"How do you know when you're in love?" she repeated. "Well, it really depends on the person."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"How the person lets you know is most important. That is, if he's in love with you. If he's  
a friend---"  
  
"Yeah, he's my--friend's friend. Yeah. And he really likes her."  
  
"Hmm."  
  
"Yeah, and all her friends have been telling her that she loves him too, and she went to this  
freaky psychic who said the same thing. And today..."  
  
"What happened today?"  
  
"Well, she told me that she saw him and they had a talk and he said she was afraid of feelings  
and stuff."  
  
"Sounds like your friend needs to start realizing the truth."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Does she like being around him?"  
  
"Oh yes, she says that he's a really nice person and he's always there for her, and she feels like  
they have this weird connection---a bond somehow."  
  
"Well then, tell your friend that by denying her feelings, she's simply delaying the inevitable.  
If she's been friends with him for awhile, and she's raving about him, she loves him. When you're  
in love, it's the most wonderful feeling. You feel like you're so happy, and just being around  
the person is fantastic. Everything seems to fade away when you're with them. You can really  
talk to them, open up to them, whatever. And if this boy knows what your friend's afraid of,  
he seems like he really knows her. A bond, you said? That's the mark of love. Even when you just  
blush talking to each other. It's love if you enjoy being in each other's company, have a special  
bond and feel wonderful and fuzzy inside. Your heart just swells when you talk to them and you  
feel like you can trust them with your life." Rumiko finished, her eyes shining.  
  
"Wow." Rika said. "Wow. I didn't know it was so complicated."  
  
She sat there for a while, then smiled. "Thanks Mom."  
  
"And oh, Rika?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Tell this boy how you really feel."  
  
"Wha--how did you know---"  
  
"How else could I have known your 'friend' was denying 'her' feelings without you telling me? And  
besides, dear, I'm you're mother."  
  
Rika laughed. "Good night Mom. Thanks for the advice."  
  
  
  
As soon as Rika reached her room, she had a sense of new-found joy. Everything her mother had said  
to her was right. She did feel those things for Ryo and did feel warm and safe around him.  
  
She picked up the phone and dialed his number. She couldn't help smiling.  
  
"Hi, Ryo? It's me, Rika."  
  
  
  
....end of Chapter III!!  
  
  
A/N: Hope you liked it! Wow, that was a bit long, no? Hehehe. Well, I just hope you people keep reviewing  
so that I could keep it up and other people could enjoy this fic, too. Chapter IV will be up before  
you know it! ;D See ya! -summer dragonfly 


	5. It's About Time!

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
Chapter IV  
"It's About Time!"  
  
  
A/N: Hello everyone! So glad you liked the last chapter. I'm making a concious effort to write  
as often as I can. Something I forgot to mention in the previous chapters: disclaimers! Well, it's  
obvious, really, that I don't own Digimon or any of its characters, plots, blah blah blah. So here  
it is: chapter four! Have fun reading!  
  
P.S. Because of the last chapter, I've made this chapter and the next to be short.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Rika was walking at a bit of a happy stride. Her heart was light, her mind was free. It was a  
great talk she had had with Ryo last night. And she couldn't wait to see him in person.  
  
As she entered the school gates, he was already standing there, waiting for her. He smiled as  
he saw her. "Hey,"  
  
"Hi!" she said ecstatically, hugging him right away.  
  
"What was that for?" He asked.  
  
"For being wonderful."  
  
He grinned wider. "Some talk we had last night."  
  
"Yeah. I hope you can forgive me, though."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For being such a jerk to you. I must've hurt your feelings."  
  
"A little." Ryo teased, and she laughed. "So what does this mean?"  
  
"What do you think it means?"  
  
"I really don't know."  
  
Rika started to blush. "I've never had a boyfriend before." she admitted.  
  
Ryo laughed.  
  
"What? It's not funny! I haven't. I'm not like you. You must've had a bunch of girlfriends by  
now."  
  
"Actually, I haven't. I've never dated anyone." Ryo admitted shamlessly.  
  
Rika smiled her biggest smile and truest smile in the last week. "I'm glad."  
  
She took his hand in hers and they both blushed.   
  
"Did I miss something?" said a voice behind them. "Or are you two an item now?"  
  
It was Kazu who had spoken, and he had the others with him. They all laughed sheepishly.  
Rika quickly let go of Ryo's hand.  
  
"Um---"  
  
"You don't have to deny it, Rika." Jeri said. "We all saw you and Ryo talking. We were---er---kinda  
spying on you."  
  
Instead of getting mad, Rika just laughed. "Oh, you guys."  
  
"Well, I gotta say," said Henry, patting Ryo's back. "It's about time!"  
  
Ryo and Rika blushed even more.   
  
"Yeah, I was starting to get a bit annoyed," Kenta chipped in. "All this running around, pretending  
you don't like each other!"  
  
"Ok, that's enough people," Takato said. "So, Rika, aren't you going to ask us what we're doing  
here?"  
  
"Oh yeah." Rika said. "What ARE you people doing here? Don't you have school?"  
  
"Well, we kinda ditched." Henry said.  
  
"YOU? Ditch?" Ryo said, surprised.  
  
"Um, yeah."  
  
"And we've come to take you with us, Ryo and Rika!" Jeri said excitedly.  
  
Rika and Ryo both laughed. "Sorry guys," said Rika. "But we've got major tests today."  
  
"Aww, come on!" Kazu whined. "I prepared this entire itinerary!" he took out a long piece of paper  
as they all laughed.  
  
"Well, maybe one day wouldn't hurt." Rika said.  
  
"Rika---" Ryo began, but then she started putting on a kiddy face.  
  
"Pwease?" she said.  
  
"Aww, not the puppy dog face!" Ryo groaned, but eventually he gave in. "Oh, all right."   
  
"Yay!" Jeri laughed.  
  
"Now that you're a couple, you have to do more couple-ly things." Kazu said matter-of-factly.  
  
"How would you know, Kazu?" Kenta said. "You've never had a girlfr---"  
  
"I know 'cause I know." Kazu snapped. He took Rika's and Ryo's hand and put them in each other,  
making both Ryo and Rika blush furiously.  
  
The entire group laughed.  
  
* * *   
  
Ryo walked Rika to her door step.  
  
"Did you have fun today?" he asked her.  
  
"Yeah, I had lots of fun." Rika giggled. "Especially when Takato fell into the duck pond!"  
  
Ryo laughed, too. "I just thought you'd oughta know..."  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"I--it wasn't a lie, Rika-chan. I do love you."  
  
Rika looked down. "I know you do."  
  
"Then why so glum?"  
  
"Ryo-kun...I wanna ask you a question."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"What does 'I love you' mean?"  
  
Ryo took a breath. "Well, it means exactly what it sounds like. If someone says I love you to another  
person, it means that...well...they're in love with them. You always have to remember, Rika-chan.  
There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. I love being around you, just talking to you...and...I guess  
that if you were ever to be sad, I would be too."  
  
Rika smiled and hugged him. "Really?"  
  
"Really. I love everything about you. And I mean it when I said that I'd do anything for you."  
  
"Even jump off a cliff?" Rika teased.  
  
"Um...yeah...but I'm thinking you're not going to make me do that, are you?"  
  
Rika laughed. "No, I'm not gonna." she kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Well...g'night." Ryo said, starting to turn around and leave.  
  
Rika hesitated. "Ryo?"  
  
He turned around to look at her. "Yeah?"  
  
"Is that what 'I love you' means?"  
  
Ryo shrugged. "Pretty much."  
  
"Then...I love you too, Ryo-kun."  
  
Ryo grinned. "I was hoping you would."  
  
He turned and walked, and Rika watched him disappear into the night before going inside.  
  
*What a great day. Ryo. What an awesome guy.* Rika hopped all the way to her room.  
  
"Oh Rika, is that you?" Rumiko called from the kitchen.  
  
"Yeah, Mom, it's me!"  
  
"Want some dinner, honey?"  
  
"No thanks, Mom, I had dinner with some friends." Rika went into the kitchen. "I just want to say  
arigatou for that little explanation you gave me yesterday. It really helped."  
  
"Oh, did it really?" Rumiko smiled. "I'm glad it did, dear."  
  
"...and I thought you should know."  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"I--I--I told him."  
  
"Who? The boy you liked?"  
  
Rika nodded, and Rumiko went over-the-rainbow with it. "Oh! And what did he say?! Who is this boy?"  
  
"Um, Mom, first you need to calm down."  
  
"Of-of course, dear, terribly sorry. Now who is he?"  
  
"Do you remember the boy that came here for Christmas dinner last year? Brown hair?"  
  
"The Matsuki boy? Takato?"  
  
"No, no, no. The OTHER brown haired boy."  
  
Rumiko gave it some thought. "Oh yes! I remember now. He's that handsome young man with the blue  
eyes, right?"  
  
"I remember him." her grandmother had entered.   
  
"See? Grandma remembers him." Rika said.  
  
"Such a gentleman." her grandmother said, sitting down at the table. "He was so polite."  
  
"Is that him, Rika?" Rumiko asked.   
  
"That's him."  
  
Rumiko screamed with excitement. She looked at her own mother, Rika's grandmother. "Oh, Mom, isn't  
it great? Rika's got herself a little boyfriend now!"  
  
Rika blushed. "Mom---"  
  
"Is he not your boyfriend? Because in my day, if a boy and girl like each other---"  
  
"It's more than that, I suspect." Rika's grandmother cut in.  
  
"What?" Rika said.  
  
"I caught a glimpse of him saying goodbye to her on the doorstep. Real kawaii, they looked."  
  
"Grandma!" Rika said. *She saw me with Ryo!*  
  
"I think it's really sweet, Rika." Rumiko said. "Invite him over for dinner sometime."  
  
"Um---sure, why not?" Rika laughed nervously. "Well---" she faked a yawn. "So sleepy, got to go  
to bed! Good night!"  
  
And she ran to her room.   
  
Rumiko smiled at her own mother. "My little Rika is growing up so fast."  
  
  
  
Rika shut the screendoor to her room. She opened her backpack and took out a stack of pictures they  
had taken that day. "Wow, these turned out great!"  
  
There was a picture of her and Ryo, with her kissing his cheek while he blushed. She smiled at it.  
  
"Oh, Jeri, is there anything you missed?" she said, remembering that Jeri took the picture.  
  
She took out an empty frame and put the picture in it. She stared at it for a while until changing  
into her pajamas and going to sleep.  
  
*This whole thing is going so fast. I...I...I got a boyfriend now. Soon I'll be brave enough to  
REALLY kiss Ryo.*  
  
And with that, she drifted off to sleep thinking that tomorrow could only get better.  
  
  
  
...end of Chapter IV!  
  
  
  
A/N: There! It finally happened! Sorry if I delayed it. Chapter V'll be up soon. 


	6. First Date or A Fast Forward to the Futu...

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
Chapter V  
"First Date Or A Fast-Forward to the Future?"  
  
  
A/N: Ryo and Rika's first date! It's a bit long; gomen nasai! ;D  
  
P.S. I don't know if there's an age minimum to drive in Japan, but in MY story, since Ryo's 15, I  
thought it's ok for him to drive. In our country of course, the good ol' U S of A, driving by  
yourself when you're 15 is illegal, but this is Japan, right? Hehehe...  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Ryo was sweating a river. He stared at himself nervously in the mirror. He had overdressed for  
his first date(which was a blind date, set up by his friends), and didn't want to do it again.  
That date was as worse as what he wore. The girl was a total brat and hated everything about him  
from his name right down to his shoes.  
  
But Ryo knew Rika wasn't like that. For starters, she told him she loved him the other day. And  
they had been friends for a while before trying out the whole dating thing. He was quite nervous,  
not knowing what to say to her, or how to greet her...  
  
*If I'm lucky, I might get to kiss her good night.* As he thought this, there was a hint of pink  
on his face.   
  
"You can so do this."  
  
Ryo was dressed in a pair of black dress pants and a nice, crisp blue long-sleeved button up  
shirt. He didn't bother trying to comb his hair down, because he thought he would look less  
nerdy if he kept it spiky. He breathed.  
  
"Well, better get going."   
  
He picked up the car keys to his dad's silver Acura 3.2CL (A/N: My dream car ^^) and headed out   
the door, praying that his dad wouldn't come home before he did. His dad had left in a limo to a   
company event and wasn't supposed to be back until well after midnight.  
  
As he turned on the engine and shifted the car into reverse, he thought about Rika. Would he  
like the place he was taking her? *Hey, where am I taking her anyway?* He didn't care, because  
he knew she wasn't picky. He just hope that people wouldn't treat them like kids.  
  
Ryo smiled. "Rika's really mature, anyway, so that won't be a problem."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Mom, would you stop touching my hair already?!" Rika screamed.  
  
Rumiko clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "But you've should've put it up, dear..."  
  
"Oh, Rumiko," said Rika's grandmother. "Let the child be. This is her date, not yours."  
  
"Thank you!" Rika said exasperately.  
  
Rumiko was so proud of Rika and her going on a date like a "normal girl", that she had gone out of  
her way to help her get ready.  
  
For someone who didn't like to dress up, Rika looked really nice in the outfit that she  
was wearing. She was wearing nice black pants and a white halter top. In Rika's opinon, it was nice  
and chic, cool and downtown. Quite different that what her mother thought. Rika was wearing black,   
strappy, high heel shoes to go with it and she had let her long chest-length brown hair down and straightened it.  
  
"Do you want to put on some makeup, honey?" Rumiko asked.  
  
"I already have enough on, Mother."  
  
"Really? Well, it's nowhere near enough if even I can't tell..."  
  
"Rika has beautiful skin naturally," her grandmother said. "If there's a need for makeup, it's very  
little."   
  
Just then the doorbell rang. Rika pushed her mother's hand out of her face impatiently. "Mom, he's  
here!" she said, all panicky. "I'm not quite ready, yet. Can you keep him busy, Grandma? Invite  
him in?"  
  
Her grandmother nodded. "Of course."  
  
"And Mom, please don't stay in the room, I'm not ready for you to meet him yet."  
  
And with that, Rika dashed into her room.  
  
"Mother, what does she mean?" Rumiko said.  
  
"Rumiko, dear, you just go on with your business. I'll handle this."  
  
"But---"  
  
"You said yourself that Rika is growing up. It's time to respect her wishes. She says she's not  
ready for you to meet him yet, and we should amend by that."  
  
"Oh, all right..." Frustrated, Rumiko went into the kitchen and shut the door.  
  
"And no peeking!" Rika's grandmother called. She laughed and went to get the door.   
  
Ryo was standing outside with his hands in his pockets. *I wish she'd answer the door already.   
This is making me more nervous.*  
  
Rika's grandmother opened the door. "Well, good evening."  
  
"Uh---" Ryo cleared his throat. "Good evening. Is Rika ready?"  
  
"She's almost finished, why don't you come in?"  
  
"Arigatou."  
  
Ryo stepped in nervously and stood there. Grandmother(A/N: I'm going to call her that now because  
it's easier to type) looked at him curiously. "Well, are you going to stand there until she's done?  
Come, sit down!"  
  
She beckoned him toward the living room where he sat down on a chair, looking around.  
  
"May I offer you a beverage? Tea?"  
  
"No thank you." Ryo said politely.  
  
"So," Grandmother said, trying to make small talk. "How long have you and Rika been dating?"  
  
"Not a long time," Ryo said. His voice was shaky.   
  
"Were you friends before that?"  
  
"Hai, we were."  
  
"Oh yes, I do remember a time a couple of years ago, when she just got back from a card tournament  
and complained sorely about losing to a 'dumb and ugly' boy. That was you, wasn't it?"  
  
"I guess so."  
  
"Well, you must be a wonderful young man, because Rika really likes you."  
  
"Hmm."  
  
There was an awkward silence.  
  
"I've seen the way she smiles when she's on the phone with you, you know." Grandmother said.  
  
"You--you have?"  
  
"Yes. She's so happy and she's always laughing. I can tell she's starting to fall in love with you."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You've known?"  
  
"She's told me, yeah."  
  
"I think it's great of Rika to come out in the open and share her feelings. Her mother's been trying  
to get her to do that for a long time. How do you do it?"  
  
"I---I don't know."  
  
Grandmother smiled. "Well, I just hope you two kids are content."  
  
Ryo nodded. "Yeah, that's all I want, is for her to be happy."  
  
"That looks like something we have in common." Grandmother took a sip of her tea. "You're a good  
child, Ryo. I can see that's why Rika loves you. You've got a great soul."  
  
Ryo blushed. "Thank you, ma'am."  
  
It was silent for a long time again.  
  
"So is Rika ready?"  
  
"She'll be out in a moment, I expect."  
  
A few seconds later, Rika came into the living room, smiling. "Good evening."  
  
Ryo got up and looked at her, amazed by her beauty. "Wow, you look really nice, Rika."  
  
"Really?" Rika said. "You think so?"  
  
"Yeah...definitely." He was still stunned.  
  
"So?" Rika looked between her grandmother and Ryo. "What did you two talk about?"  
  
"Such and such." Grandmother said timidly.  
  
Rika looked at her weirdly, then said, "Grandma, if I know you, it's never such and such."  
  
Grandmother smiled. "You two should get going now. 'Tis nearly eight o'clock."  
  
"Yeah, that's right. You ready, Rika?" Ryo turned to Rika.  
  
She smiled a smile that made him blush more. "Yeah, all ready here. Say bye to Mom for me all  
right, Grandma?" Rika added to her grandmother. "Well, goodbye then."  
  
Ryo bowed politely. "Thank you for inviting me into your home."  
  
Grandmother waved her hand. "It was nothing, Ryo. The pleasure was mine. You kids have a wonderful  
time now."  
  
Ryo let Rika go through the door first.   
  
"And Ryo," Grandmother added. "Be sure to have her back by 11 o'clock."  
  
"Of course." Ryo nodded. "Goodbye."  
  
* * *  
  
  
"This is a nice car, Ryo." Rika commented.   
  
"Thanks." Ryo was looking straight ahead.  
  
"The city lights look really pretty tonight."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Look at the park, it looks so mystical."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Rika decided to tease him. "Look at the guy getting robbed, isn't that nice?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Ryo."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Stop saying that, already, would you?"  
  
Ryo snapped out of it. "Oh, what? Sorry,"   
  
"It's OK."  
  
"I'm just really nervous."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"I can't tell you."  
  
"You're nervous about being around me?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then what is it?"  
  
"I dunno, Rika. I just really want this night to go perfectly." Ryo sighed.  
  
Rika looked at him. "No one's perfect, Ryo. And you don't have to try. Not for me, anyway."  
  
Ryo looked at her as they stopped at a red light. "But I---"  
  
"Listen, I don't want to hear anymore talk about this being perfect crap, OK? I love you the  
way you are. Just like you told me a couple of days ago."  
  
Ryo smiled weakly. Rika put her hand on his hand, which was on the shift stick. She looked deep into  
his eyes. He got all panicky. *Please don't look at me with those eyes.* He blushed furiously but   
she just laughed.   
  
"If it makes you feel any better," she said. "I got about a million butterflies in my stomach  
right now."  
  
"You? Butterflies?" Ryo said, appalled.  
  
She hit him playfully on the shoulder. "What? I'm human, too, you know."  
  
Now it was Ryo's turn to laugh. "I know."  
  
"Hey, it just hit me. You drive pretty good."  
  
"Yeah." Ryo said egotistically, moving the shift stick as they made a left turn. "What else is   
new?"  
  
"I thought that anyone who was with you when you drove would end up dead." Rika laughed.  
  
"Well, you're with me now aren't you? You're fine."  
  
"I wish I could stay with you forever, Ryo." Rika said quietly, looking out the window.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
* * *  
  
  
"A sushi bar?" Rika exclaimed. "I took 10 years getting ready and you're taking me to a sushi  
bar?"  
  
Ryo panicked. "I thought it was your idea to have a nice, casual place to dine and---"  
  
"This is great!" Rika said, hugging him. "What a good idea. How'd you think of it?"  
  
"Uh---" Ryo searched his head. "Great minds think alike?"  
  
Rika looked at him happily. "I was hoping to go some place cool like this. I thought you were going  
to take me to some fancy restaurant with snobby rich people."  
  
Ryo laughed nervously. "Yeah." *Good thing I didn't take her to the restaurant my friend suggested.*  
  
"Good evening!" chimed the hostess, dressed in a kimono. "Two?"  
  
"Yes," Ryo said.  
  
"This way, please."  
  
She lead them over to the sushi bar, where the conveyer belt was constantly rolling around with  
different kinds of fresh sushi.  
  
"Enjoy." the hostess left.  
  
"I wish you could've told me, Ryo." Rika said. "I would've worn my kimono. I feel so out of place."  
  
"You're never out of place." Ryo said looking around the restaurant. "You're so beautiful, you'll  
fit in anywhere."  
  
Rika looked at him nonplussed. "Is that from the '101 Things to Charm a Girl With' volume 5?" she teased.  
  
"No," Ryo looked back at her. "I made that up from the back of my head."  
  
"Ryo!"  
  
Ryo laughed.  
  
Rika pointed to a kind of sushi. "Oh, Ryo, look, fresh Nigiri! My favorite."  
  
"You know, my cousin just went to America," Ryo said, putting some sushi on his plate. "He says  
they invented a new kind of sushi there. It's called California Roll."  
  
"Why would you name a sushi after a province?" Rika asked curiously.  
  
"I dunno, but I hear they call them 'states' over there..."  
  
"Really? Weird."  
  
They didn't talk for awhile.  
  
"You know, I was thinking we could go to the carnival after this." Ryo said, trying to break the ice.  
"Today's the last day they're in town."  
  
"Well, if it's what you want to do..."  
  
"What do you want to do?"  
  
"I was thinking maybe we could take a stroll in the park."  
  
"Oh, and did you get THAT from '101 Romantic Things to Do and Really Make Your Boyfriend Feel  
Out-Of-Place'?"  
  
Rika giggled. "Well, Ryo, you're so cool, you'll fit in anywhere."  
  
"Touche."  
  
He went back to eating, and Rika decided she would do something to aliven the mood. She took the   
wrapping of her sushi off and flung it on his plate, splattering sushi contents on his shirt.  
  
"Hey!" Ryo said, wiping the mess off with a napkin.  
  
Rika smiled really big, stifling a laugh. "Sorry!"  
  
"Oh yeah?" He took his entire glass of water and poured it all over her sushi.  
  
"Ryo..!"  
  
She was about to get him back when one of the employees reprimanded them. "Hey, calm down over  
there."  
  
"Gomen nasai." Ryo said, rather embarrased. Then he turned to Rika. "Sorry for ruining your  
sushi, Rika-chan."  
  
"'s alright." Rika said. "What makes a date good is who you're with, not what you're eating."  
  
Ryo coughed and blushed. "Y-yeah." *She's making me so nervous I can't eat.* "Whatcha say we  
get outta here?"  
  
"Ditto." Rika said.   
  
They paid for their sushi and left.   
  
Ryo opened the car door for Rika to get in. "I hope you're having fun."  
  
"Yes." Rika said as Ryo got in, too.   
  
He eyed her suspciously.   
  
"I am, I really am!"   
  
"Ok, then."  
  
He started the car and headed towards the park.  
  
"Ryo?"   
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Rika was looking out the window. She couldn't bare to look at him while telling him what she   
was about to tell him.  
  
"I--I gotta tell you something."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Uh,"  
  
"Rika. You know you can trust me. Out with it."  
  
Rika chickened out. "I'll---I'll tell you at the park."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"So what was it that you wanted to tell me?" Ryo asked.   
  
They were walking in the moonlit park, their arms around each other. Other couples were there  
too, and everyone looked really happy.  
  
"Promise you won't laugh at me?" Rika said uneasily.  
  
"Cross my heart."  
  
"Ok...here goes." Rika took a deep breath. "I've never met anyone like you before, Ryo."  
  
Ryo looked at her weirdly.   
  
"And...I guess what I'm trying to say is that you seem to have no insecurity in your life, and  
I just really admire that..."  
  
"Um...thank you?" Ryo said strangely, not sure of what to say.  
  
"And I hope that...you'll never stop loving me." she said that last part really quietly.   
  
A normal guy wouldn't have heard what Rika just said, but Ryo didn't need to hear it. It was like  
he could read her mind.  
  
"Of course I'll never stop loving you, Rika."  
  
Rika looked up at him. "Liar."  
  
"I'm telling the truth; really I am."  
  
"You don't know that. You can't see into the future."  
  
"You really know what I see in the future?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"You don't want to know what I see in the future."  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"'Cause I don't think you can handle it."  
  
"Oh yeah? Try me, why don't you?"  
  
Ryo sat down on the park bench. "Well...when I think about the future, I see us, Rika."  
  
Rika sat down next to him. "Us?"  
  
"We're married, and we have this house in the suburbs..." He had a dreamy sort of look in  
his eyes as he said this. "And I would come home to work, and you'd come out of the kitchen  
and greet me...and we have these three amazing kids..." Ryo blushed.   
  
Rika could tell he was really incomfortable. "You see us having a family?"  
  
Ryo smiled as he said all this. "I know it's stupid but...yeah, I do. Two girls and a boy. And   
they're playing in the backyard on a sunny day, and the little boy is swinging on this little   
tire swing we built together...and the two girls are in a treehouse, playing tea party. And in   
the front door, we have this small mini-door that the cat would run through...and it'd have a   
tiny bell on its collar..."  
  
Ryo stopped there, looking down.   
  
*Whoa.* thought Rika. "Wow, Ryo...I---I never knew that you had given it so much thought."  
  
"Well, yeah, now you do." Ryo said.  
  
*Why did he have to build my entire future for me?* Rika stayed silent. After a while, she spoke  
up. "You really want to marry me?"  
  
Ryo turned to her as if he was surprised that she would even ask him that. "Yeah. I'm want  
to marry you one day, Rika Nonaka."  
  
"I...I'm just so...shocked."  
  
"That's OK, because everything I just said didn't mean anything."  
  
"Ryo, what are you talking about? Of course it means something!"  
  
"No, it doesn't. Because that's not what you want."  
  
"YOU are trying to tell ME what I want?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Ryo, you can't even begin to fanthom what I want." Rika said, her eyes blazing.  
  
"Yes, I can!" Ryo said angrily. "You want a big fancy mansion and servants and mink coats with  
limos! That's what you want!"  
  
"Well, you're wrong!" Rika shouted. "You're wrong..."  
  
"What?" Ryo said, confused.   
  
"I don't want all of that..."  
  
"You--you don't?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes, you do.."  
  
"No, Ryo, I don't." Rika said, her anger disappearing. "I want everything that you imagined us  
having."  
  
"What?"  
  
"A house in the suburbs...kids and a cat..." Rika started to get tears in her eyes. "That's what  
I want."  
  
Ryo was now thoroughly confused. "You really do?"  
  
"Yes," Rika said, looking sincerely at him. "Most importantly...I want to have it all with you..."  
  
"Rika," Ryo said, very seriously. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"  
  
"Yeah." Rika said, wiping away her tears. "Everything you invisioned sounded to happy and wonderful...  
and I guess that's what I've always wanted...with my parents divorced and everything...you never  
let me finished what I was saying, Ryo. I was going to say that meeting you was the best thing  
that's ever happened to me, and I hope that...your feelings for me will never change."  
  
Ryo took her by the shoulders and looked straight at her. "I already told you, Rika. Nothing's  
going to change. Especially not my feelings for you."  
  
Rika laughed. "This is going so quickly. I'm only 14 and you're only 15 and here we're already  
talking about kids and where we're going to live...we haven't even kissed yet! Strange, isn't it?"  
  
"No, not really..." Ryo said, leaning back against the park bench. "I guess when you know what  
you really want, it seems right."  
  
Rika hugged him tightly. "Do you ever feel that...I dunno...we're moving too fast?"  
  
"Like how?"  
  
"Like just two minutes ago, we're talking about the future."  
  
"Sometimes..."  
  
Rika let go of him. "Why don't we start over?"  
  
"Ok..." Ryo got an idea. "I can tell that, altough it's what you want, talking about the future is  
really scaring you. So let's not talk about it anymore until we get there, OK?"  
  
"I'd like that." Rika nodded. "Thank you for being so understanding."  
  
"Sure." Ryo said. "So...starting over."  
  
"Right." Rika took a deep breath. "The stars are really pretty tonight, aren't they?"  
  
"Yeah." Ryo put his arm around her. "They're unusually bright tonight, too."  
  
"They remind me of when I was four..." Rika said. "I was playing in this exact park...I was having  
the best time..."  
  
"What then?"  
  
"...it got darker." said Rika. "And no one came to pick me up. I remember that I was sitting on  
a swing crying for my mother by nightfall. I was always afraid of the dark..."  
  
Ryo gulped. He began to remember something too.  
  
"And then this little boy came over to me." continued Rika. "What was he? 4? 5? ...anyway, he  
handed me a tissue and said---"  
  
"'Don't cry, little girl.'" said Ryo.   
  
"Yes," Rika said, looking over at Ryo strangely. "How did you know?"  
  
"Uh...lucky guess?" Ryo said nervously.  
  
"Anyway...he wiped away my tears for me and told me that I would never cry again as long as  
he could help it." Rika's expression was half-happy, half-puzzled.  
  
"And he told you that?" Ryo asked.  
  
"Mmm-hmm. It's funny, because I thought then that he was the best guy in the world...you know,  
he was my very first crush." Rika laughed a little.  
  
"Hmm." Ryo said.  
  
"And then I looked up at the night sky, and it looked exactly as it does tonight." Rika looked  
up at the star-filled sky again. "I remember really clearly because it was a night I'll never  
forget. It's like it only happens every ten years or something."  
  
"You don't say." Ryo gulped. *How can I tell her that I was the little boy? I already freaked   
her out with that whole future thing.*  
  
"I'm sorry." Rika apologized. "I am totally chatting at you. Your turn to say something."  
  
"Um." Ryo stood up. "It's nearly 10:30. I should take you home now. I promised your grandmother  
I'd have you home by 11."  
  
"We still have half an hour then." Rika said excitedly.   
  
"No, I feel like we've had enough adventure for today, don't you?" Ryo took her hand and they  
began walking back to the car.  
  
"Ok, then." Rika looked up at him and smiled. "You've been so good to me, we're going to do what  
you want for a change."  
  
Ryo grinned back.   
  
* * *  
  
"So this was fun." Rika said once they were back at her doorstep.  
  
"Yeah. We should do it again sometime." Ryo laughed. "I'll call you."  
  
"What's so funny? What are you laughing at?" Rika crossed her arms.  
  
"My cousin, the one who went to America, says that when a guy drops a girl off at her doorstep  
he says those things." Ryo said, still laughing.  
  
"But you're not any other guy." Rika said, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "You're my guy."  
  
Ryo blushed and coughed. "Yeah."  
  
He began leaning in nervously to kiss her, but then got cold feet. They both backed away, not  
quite ready yet.   
  
"So, uh, good night." Ryo gave her a hug.  
  
"Good night." They parted, and Rika kissed him on the cheek. She smiled at him and went inside.  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Back so soon?" Rumiko said as Rika went inside. "It's only 10:45."  
  
"I think that's plenty late, Mother." Rika said, taking off her shoes.   
  
"Well, in my day---" Rumiko began, but Grandmother cut her off.  
  
"You still had to be back by 11:00, except when you disobeyed me." Grandmother said, smiling.  
  
"The night is still young, Rika, dear." Rumiko said, pretending she didn't hear her own mother's  
last comment.   
  
"No, Ryo and both agreed that we had had enough for tonight."  
  
"So when do I get to meet this Ryo?" Rumiko went back to reading 'A Model's World' magazine.  
  
"Soon." Rika brushed her hair with a comb she had taken out of her purse.  
  
"Did you at least kiss him yet?"  
  
Rika began to blush. She looked down. "Uh, no."  
  
"No?" Rumiko said, surprised.  
  
"Oh, come off it, Rumiko, it's only the first date." Grandmother went to pour Rika some hot tea.  
"Besides, you should be glad that you have a good, obedient daughter that decides to take things  
steady with her first boyfriend." Grandmother came back into the room and handed Rika her tea  
cup. "Something I didn't get blessed with."  
  
"Mother!" Rumiko said, and Grandmother laughed.  
  
"Mom, Ryo and I are really happy with the way things are going." Rika sipped her tea. "I'll kiss  
him when I'm ready."  
  
* * *  
  
Ryo got home and collapsed on the couch. His dad still wasn't home yet. He flung his shoes off  
and they bounced against the wall.  
  
"What a night." he said tiredly.   
  
*I'm glad Rika and I decided to take things slow.* Ryo thought while brushing his teeth. *Altough  
I do want to marry her in the future and stuff like that, I'm kinda glad to have things easy  
right now.*  
  
Ryo slumped into bed and pulled the cover over his head. *It's not like I'm disappointed that I  
didn't kiss her. I was just scared, that's all.*  
  
*Rika is really special. How did I ever change her from who she was to the person she is now?*  
  
Ryo didn't want to think about it anymore. *Maybe in the morning.*  
  
  
  
...end of Chapter V!  
  
  
A/N: Next time: Ryo is going away! Rika gets the gift of a lifetime and their first kiss! Playing  
at a Fanfiction.net near you. 


	7. The Gift

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
Chapter VI  
"The Gift"  
  
  
A/N: I know I promised to make this one short, and I guess it IS short, based on your definition  
of 'short'...enjoy!  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The door of the Matsukis' bakery shop ringed as Ryo stepped inside. Takato, who was supposed to  
be watching the shop while his parents were in the back, jumped at the sound of it.  
  
"Oh, it's you, Ryo." Takato yawned.  
  
"You don't have to sound so disappointed." Ryo said.  
  
"Sorry." Takato got out from behin the counter. "I've been up from 5 this morning to help bake  
stuff."  
  
"That's OK," Ryo took a look around. "Wow, the bread sure smells good."  
  
"It better," Takato said, irritated. "I put massive amounts of elbow grease into it."  
  
Ryo laughed. He took a little bag and began walking around the shop, putting various pastries into  
it. "Cream puffs look especially good today."  
  
"Ok." Takato said seriously.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I know you wouldn't come here on a Saturday just to compliment and buy cream puffs. What's up?"  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"Does it have to do with Rika?"   
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Why don't you just tell me?" Takato began following Ryo around. "It's not like I'll tell her or  
something."  
  
Ryo stayed silent.  
  
Takato gasped. "You're going to break up with her, aren't you?!"  
  
"No!" Ryo said, dropping an eclair. "Of course not."   
  
"Then what?" Takato was starting to get annoyed. "I know we haven't really been close over the  
past year, but you can still trust me, you know."  
  
"Of course I still trust you." Ryo put a apple tart into the bag.   
  
"All right." There was a hint of suspicion in Takato's voice. "I know you don't even LIKE apples."  
  
"Yeah...so?"  
  
"So...you're buying all this for Rika, aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah, sort of."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Can't I buy her breakfast now and then?" Ryo looked at Takato strangely.  
  
"Yeah, you can, but you wouldn't be buying her enough pastries to feed an army if you didn't  
have anything to say to her---" Takato gasped. "That's it! You're going to tell her something!"  
  
"Shh, yes yes yes I am," Ryo said. "But you have to promise not to tell anyone---ANYONE---especially  
her, before I do."  
  
"OK." Takato laughed.  
  
"Ok.." Ryo put a strawberry-filled danish in the bag. "I'm taking a trip."  
  
"A trip?" Takato questioned.  
  
"Yes, I'm coming with my father on a business trip to Osaka." Ryo brought the pastry bag up to  
the counter where Takato could ring them up.  
  
"Why?" Takato asked.  
  
"To tell you the truth...I don't really know." Ryo sighed. "My dad just told me to pack my stuff  
'cause we're leaving tomorrow."  
  
"Tomorrow? That's on short notice, don't you think?" Takato said. "How are you going to tell her?"  
  
"I was thinking to bring her breakfast today---" Ryo looked at the menu. "---and throw in two  
decaf cappuncinos, will you?"  
  
"Sure---" Takato got up and started to pour the coffee into the cups. "Ok, so you're going to  
bring her breakfast...then what?"  
  
"Then, I'm going to take her to the park and we'll have fun and...with luck I'll tell her before  
the day is over."  
  
"Are you going away forever, though?"  
  
"I don't think so..." Ryo said, accepting the two cups of coffee from Takato. "No, I'm not."  
  
"Good." Takato said. "I don't think Rika's fragile little heart could accept it."  
  
Ryo laughed. "Shut up."  
  
"No, seriously. She's been through a lot in her 14 years, that Rika." Takato put a bunch of napkins  
in the pastry bag.   
  
"I know," Ryo said. "Thanks, man."  
  
"Take care."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
Being a very non-sentimental person, I don't know if diaries are really for me. But lately I've  
been feeling so great that I've just got to write it all down. I'm positive that I'll remember  
this time for the rest of my life, but I'd just like to write it down, a sort of memoir or   
something.  
  
  
Rika paused to chew on her pen. What should she write next? She'd never had a diary before.  
  
  
So let me tell you a bit about me. Rika Nonaka's the name. Currently 14 years old. I'll be 15 in  
in 6 and 1/2 months, though! In the past few weeks, things are going so well for me. It's like my   
life has taken a whole 'nother spin around. Before all this happened, I was feeling so down and  
moody it was scary. But then...this boy came back into my life....  
  
  
Rika paused again to smile. Just writing about him made her heart do cartwheels. She glanced at  
the clock, it was already 10:00. Rather than just waste her Saturday scribbling in a journal, Rika   
decided she would do something else. Something more productive.   
  
"Like seeing Ryo." she said aloud.  
  
Just then, the telephone rang. Too busy daydreaming, Rika let it ring and ring. Finally her   
grandmother picked it up. A few seconds later, her grandmother walked over to her room and called  
through the screen door. "Rika, dear, it's for you."  
  
Rika snapped out of it. "Thanks, Grandma!" she picked up her own phone. "Rika Nonaka."  
  
"Hey."   
  
"Who is this?"  
  
"Don't you know me better than that?"  
  
Rika laughed. "Ryo!"  
  
"Good guess." Ryo said.  
  
"You won't believe how glad I am to hear your voice."  
  
"I'm happy to be talking to you, too. Um, Rika-chan?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Would you mind going to the park with me today?"   
  
"Of course I would." Rika looked out the window. "It's a beautiful day."  
  
*Did Rika just say it was a beautiful day?* Ryo thought. *That's so unlike her. Weird.*   
"Ok, I'll come by your house in 10."  
  
"Cool. I'll be waiting. By---"  
  
"Wait."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"There's also something I need to tell you."  
  
"Like what?" Rika asked curiously.  
  
"I'll tell you when we get there."  
  
"Ok..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Ryo knocked on the door. To his bad fortune, Rumiko answered it. She gasped when she saw him.  
  
"Ryo, isn't it? Pleasure to meet you!" She said, immediately grabbing his hand and shaking it.  
  
"Hi, Ms. Nonaka." Ryo smiled. *Why is Rika's mom so excited to shake my hand?*  
  
"You must be Rika's boyfriend, right?"   
  
"Uh---"  
  
"Mother!" Rika said, coming out from the inside. "What are you doing?"  
  
"I've been wanting to meet him. Weren't you ever going to introduce us?" Rumiko said.  
  
"Ryo, this is my mom. Mother, this is Ryo...my...boyfriend." She finally spat out. Altough she  
loved being his girlfriend, it was still a little awkward for her.  
  
"Yes! I knew it. Very nice to meet you, Ryo." Rumiko said again. "Hmmm..."  
  
She began walking around Ryo. He stood quite still, not knowing what to do.   
  
"Mom, what ARE you doing?" Rika was torn between being exasperated at her mother and laughing at  
the look of panic on Ryo's face. *Is she doing some sort of boyfriend evaluation all mothers do?*  
  
"Say, Ryo, have you ever considered a career in modeling?" Rumiko finally said.  
  
(A/N: At this point, Ryo gets a huge sweatmark and Rika falls to the ground exasperately ;p)  
  
"Well, have you? I've been trying to convince my own daughter---" Rumiko jerked her head toward  
Rika. "But she's so stubborn, you know, she gets that from her father---"  
  
Rika looked at her mother in disbelief. *The first time Ryo's here, and she's already chatting  
him up! If this keeps up, he may never come back!*  
  
Ryo just stood there nervously, nodding at everything Rumiko said.  
  
*Look at him, he's scared to death,* Rika thought. *I have to do something.*  
  
"Mom?" Rika interrrupted.  
  
"Yes, Rika?"  
  
"Um, I don't mean to be rude, but Ryo and I were kinda planning to go to the park and---"  
  
"Oh, another little date!" Rumiko gushed proudly. "Of course, silly me. I'm just going to go now   
and get out of your hair! Have a great time, kids!"  
  
And with that, Rumiko went back inside muttering things that sounded oddly like "she's growing up  
so fast" and "what a cute little pair".   
  
Ryo laughed nervously. "Is your mom always like this?"  
  
"Worse." Rika groaned. "Everytime I bring home a guest---" she sighed. "Let's just not go there.  
I'm sorry you had to listen to that."  
  
"It was kinda flattering, really." Ryo said, laughing. "No one's ever told me I was model-material  
before."  
  
"Ryo, you REALLY don't want to get me started." Rika said.   
  
Ryo handed her a cup of coffee and the pastry bag, filled with muffins, danishes, and various  
goodies. "I brought you breakfast."   
  
"You shouldn't have..." Rika sipped her coffee. "Decaf cappucino? Two sugars? Half-skim   
half-whole-milk?"  
  
"Everything you like." Ryo smiled.  
  
"You big charmer!" Rika said, laughing. "Thank you so much. Do you want to come in?"  
  
"No, that's OK. Ready to go?"  
  
"I'm all ready."  
  
"Great." Ryo took a sip of his own coffee.  
  
"What, no car this time?" Rika said, biting into a blueberry muffin.  
  
"Nope." Ryo looked up at the sky. "You said yourself it's a beautiful day."  
  
"Yes, that's true." Rika held the bag up to him. "You hungry?"  
  
"No, I already ate."   
  
"I feel so bad, dragging you away from your priorities."  
  
"Not really. I'm all yours for the day."  
  
With the sun shining down on them, Ryo and Rika headed toward the park, talking and laughing.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Ryo and Rika were sitting on the bench, eating their ice cream cones that Ryo had bought.(A/N: I'm  
a traditional sort of girl; I think the guys should always pay...;P that's why I have my own  
boyfriend so well trained--er--I mean---mannered...yeah...)   
  
Ryo had bought Rika a giant teddy bear that was her size and height along with two dozen roses,  
lovely arranged in a bouquet, wrapped with a silver ribbon. Rika had been quite suspicious about  
why he was doing all of this, but didn't tell him.  
  
Rika sat there, licking her ice cream pensively. Ryo noticed this. "Hey," he put his arm around her. ]  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing." She smiled at him.  
  
"You don't like your ice cream?" Ryo said. "Double fudge 'N pecans not your flavor?"  
  
Rika laughed. "No, there's nothing wrong with the ice cream, it's delicious..." She rested her head   
on his shoulder. "I was just wondering---"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing. It doesn't matter."  
  
"Hey..." Ryo said. There was a hint of worry in his voice. "You know you can tell me anything. Now  
what is it?"  
  
Rika sighed. "I'm just worried..."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About us..."  
  
"Us? What have you got to be worried about?"  
  
"About how long we'll last..."  
  
"Rika, what are you talking about? You're afraid we're going to break up?"  
  
"Mmm-hmm." Rika said, taking a few more bites at her ice cream.  
  
Ryo kissed her head. "I thought we already talked about this on our first date. You're being silly."  
  
"Am I? Everyone's hoping for it."  
  
"Like who?"  
  
"Everyone at school."  
  
"Mitsumi doesn't count as everyone."  
  
"Oh, Ryo, didn't you see her and her cronies? They were looking at me like I was some kind of  
disgusting bug...especially Mitsumi."  
  
"She's just being Mitsumi."  
  
"Hmm."  
  
"I mean, she wasn't exactly jumping for joy when she saw us walking around campus hand-in-hand..."  
  
"Yeah, maybe we should stop that."   
  
"Huh?" Ryo said.  
  
"I don't know. What do you want?"  
  
"I want whatever that'll make you happy, Rika-chan. If you don't what to hold hands anymore, that's  
fine too."  
  
"Are you saying you don't care?"  
  
"No, no! I DO care---about what'll make you happy."  
  
Rika looked up at him and smiled. "How did you get so wonderful and charming?"  
  
"I met you." Ryo said, returning her grin.  
  
"You always make me feel better."  
  
"It's a gift..." Ryo laughed.  
  
"Ryo? Another thing..."  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"What did you have to tell me?"  
  
"Oh yeah, that..."  
  
They had such a great day at the park, boating out in the lake, climbing the trees...he had   
completely forgotten what he was going to tell her. The sunset sky casted an orange glow over  
the two of them, bathing them in warm sunset light.  
  
"...um." He couldn't get the words out.  
  
"What is it? You know YOU could tell ME anything."  
  
"Well, Rika...I'm going away for a little bit."  
  
"What?" Rika took her head off his shoulder and looked him in the eye.  
  
*I can't stand it when she looks at me with those eyes.* Ryo sighed. "On a business trip with  
my dad. In Osaka. He can't stand to leave me alone with the house...afraid I'll burn it down or   
something..."  
  
"You can always stay with me," Rika prompted straight away.  
  
Ryo smiled weakly. "I know...but..."  
  
"But what?"  
  
"It's complicated."  
  
"Are you calling me too dumb to understand it?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"Then why---"  
  
"I don't know, Rika. I'm just supposed to come with Tousan...suppose he wants to teach me the  
family business."  
  
Rika didn't know what to say. "But...but...you'll come back, won't you? This is just temporary?"  
  
"Of course it's temporary. I'd miss you way too much if it was forever."  
  
Rika smiled and put her arms around him.  
  
"Hey...what's wrong?" Ryo hugged her back.  
  
"I'm going to miss you." Rika said. "When are you leaving?"  
  
"Tomorrow."  
  
"Tomorrow?!"  
  
"Yeah, at 10:00 in the morning. That's why I wanted to spend time with you today, Rika-chan.  
Before I go..."  
  
"Stop it! You're making it sound like forever."  
  
"I promise you it won't be. I'll stop by your house before leaving tomorrow."  
  
"No," Rika said stubbornly. "I'll see you at the airport. I wanna be with you until you have to  
get on that plane."  
  
Ryo looked at her sincerely. "Really?"  
  
"Yeah, and watch it take off, too."  
  
Ryo laughed. "I'm not the only wonderful person around here."  
  
Rika finally let go of him. "Come off it. You're just saying that."  
  
"No, I'm serious. You're really special. That's why I have a surprise for you tomorrow."  
  
"A surprise?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"You'll see."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"This is the boarding call for Flight 682 to Osaka." said the woman over the loadspeaker. "This  
is the boarding call for Flight 682 to Osaka."  
  
Ryo looked around. "Rika, where are you?"  
  
Just then, he saw a girl dashing out of the elevator. He smiled and got up to greet her. Rika  
threw her arms around him. "Oh, Ryo, I was afraid I would be too late..."  
  
"That's OK." Said Ryo, and lead her out of earshot of his dad. "Remember yesterday when I told  
you that I had a surprise for you?"  
  
"Yeah...what is it?" Rika said excitedly. Ryo took a box out of his bag. It was a square shaped   
velvet box. Rika knew instantly what it was. She opened it. It was a necklace.  
  
"Oh..." she said. "It's beautiful..."  
  
"Spent two years worth of saved money on it." Ryo said, blushing.   
  
Rika looked up at him guiltily. "First you spoil me with teddy bears, pastries and roses, now this. It's   
like I'm burning a hole in your wallet. You are so sweet...domo arigatou..."  
  
It was the most beautiful necklace that she had ever seen. It had a gold chain, and a purple heart  
pendent to match the color of her eyes. The letter 'R' was engraved on it in fine silver, and there  
was the Japenese kanji symbol for 'love' under it, written in real, glittering diamonds.  
  
"You're welcome, and it's OK, don't feel guilty. I WANT to spend money on you." Ryo blushed harder   
than ever. "I thought...something to remember me by..."  
  
"I'll never forget you, silly!" She giggled. "You didn't have to do this..."  
  
"Well, you are my girlfriend, aren't you?"   
  
Now it was Rika's turn to blush. "I don't have anything for you...I feel awful!"  
  
"It's OK." Ryo said. "I'll never forget you, Rika-chan...even if my life depended on it."  
  
"Here," Rika said, taking off her ring and giving it to him. "Think of it as a sort of promise  
ring."  
  
"I promise never to forget you." Ryo grinned and placed her ring in his bag.  
  
Now Rika was getting tears in her eyes.  
  
"Don't..." Ryo said, reaching out and wiping her tears away. Rika laughed. She hugged him.  
  
"Here, why don't you put it on?" Ryo took the necklace from her and put it around her neck. He  
fastened it and turned her around to look at her. "You look even more beautiful than always."  
  
Their lips inched closer and closer until they finally met. Rika threw her arms around his  
neck, he had his hands on her waist. It was the most magical moment that either of them had ever  
had. Even a few people at the airport stopped to "Awww." Finally they parted.  
  
"This is the final boarding call for Flight 682 to Osaka." said the woman on the loudspeaker.  
  
Ryo looked at his dad, who looked as grumpy as ever. "Well, that's me."  
  
"Don't go..." Rika whined, still hanging on to him.  
  
"I'll be back before you know it." He began to walk toward his dad, but Rika held him back.  
  
"Now you be careful," she said, sounding adoringly worried. She straightened the collar of his polo  
shirt. "And don't talk to strangers."  
  
"Of course not." Ryo laughed.  
  
"And you better not fall for any Osaka girls while you're there." Rika hugged him. "I'm going to  
miss you so much."  
  
"I promise not to even LOOK at any other girl." Ryo laughed again, remembering something. "At   
least there'll be no one around to poke fun at you, huh, pumpkin?"  
  
She punched him playfully on the shoulder. "You baka."   
  
Rika hugged him again. "Ai Shiteru, Ryo-kun..." She let go of him.  
  
"I love you too, Rika..." He took her hands in his and kissed them, making her laugh and cry  
tears at the same time.  
  
But then, she wiped away her own tears. "You're only going to be gone for a little while, and I'm   
making myself cry, how silly." she looked straight at him. "Well, goodbye then, Ryo..and call me   
as soon as you get there!"  
  
"I will. Sayonara, Rika-chan." Ryo said, kissing her on the lips briefly. He finally let go of her   
hand. Oh, how he didn't want to.  
  
Ryo walked over to his dad, who nodded. They began going to the gate of the plane.  
  
"I'll write!" Rika called after him. "Everyday!"  
  
"Me too!" Ryo called back and winked at her.  
  
She blew him a kiss and watched him disappear behind crowds of people.  
  
Rika couldn't help but wipe away her tears. She tugged on her new necklace.  
  
"I'll miss you, Ryo-kun..."  
  
  
  
...end of Chapter VI!  
  
  
  
A/N: Everyone together: "Awww." Heehee. Hope you liked it! If you did, plz review! And if you hated  
it, uh...review anyway and just tell me what you didn't like about it. I appreciate all comments. Also,  
if you're wondering on why I named this chapter "The Gift" instead of "Goodbye" or "Ryo Goes Away"  
is that the necklace Ryo gave Rika has a very important part in later chapters. You'll see what  
I mean when we get there ;P. Thanks for reading!  
  
P.S. Gomen if that was TOO sappy...i know they were totally OOC but I had to put in an emotional chapter  
sooner or later...had to get it over with because new and better things are on the way! 


	8. A Disturbance in the Digital World

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
Chapter VII  
"A Disturbance in the Digital World"  
  
  
A/N: Hello! I got emails from quite a few of you asking "When does Ryo get amnesia?" My answer:   
Not for a while. The main story line doesn't start until at least chapter ten. Since this IS a story   
of Ryo and Rika's love, I do have to include the earlier moments, you know. I've already sketched it   
out and have come up with the events of it, but haven't written it all down yet. Patience, my good   
friends...;P. Well anyway, I've been trying to do a songfic, I really have, I just haven't found  
one suitable for the story line and chapters. I try to make the song fit in with the chapter, not  
the other way around. Well, enjoy!  
  
P.S. Huge thanks to taidigimon, who gave me some very helpful feedback on the previous chapters.  
He/she(it's impossible to tell over the net) told me that Rika didn't sound like herself. Reading  
back on that, I think taidigimon's right. I'm doing my very best to keep them as in character as  
possible, but that's kinda hard since both Ryo and Rika aren't the type of people just to come  
out and confess their love. Thanks again, taidigimon.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Rika was sitting on the uncomfortable airport chair, one leg jiggling impatiently as she drained  
the last of her ice-cold soda.  
  
She looked at her watch and groaned. "What could be keeping him?"  
  
"Maybe he wanted to surprise you." said someone behind her.  
  
Rika turned around. "Ryo!"  
  
Ryo gave her a hug. "I missed you, too, Rika."  
  
Rika smiled at him. "Who ever said I missed you?"  
  
"Oh ok, maybe I should just go over there to that group of girls. They'd miss me if I were gone."  
  
Rika eyed him. "I'm just kidding, you know that."  
  
"So you did miss me?"  
  
"A little." Rika said innocently.   
  
"I knew that," Ryo said, starting to get egotistical again. "I'm totally missable."  
  
She laughed, knowing the type of person Ryo was. *I'm sure that he'll never leave me for good...  
I hope.*  
  
* * *  
  
  
Six years later. Everyone is 20 years old, except Ryo, who is 21. The gang has drifted apart over  
the years as they started college. Only Kazu and Kenta still remained in touch.  
  
It had been a while since Ryo and Rika last saw each other. It was spring break, and Rika took  
a trip to see Ryo at HIS college in Sapporo. They had broken up, because they had gotten in a   
tremendous fight. A long distance relationship was hard work, as Rika had soon found out. And she  
couldn't handle it.  
  
"Calculus II is a nightmare," Rika groaned. "So hard and boring."  
  
*But if I ever want to run my own computer business,* Rika thought guiltily, *I have to study this  
stuff. Thank God that my minor is business. At least that's a little better.*  
  
She twirled a yellow #2 pencil between her fingers while drinking a big cup of cappucino. Her  
eyes lingered over to a nearby photo of her and Ryo at spring break last year.   
  
She sighed. "I can't believe I still have this." She took the photo and faced it down.  
  
Rika jumped as the phone rang. Ignoring her roommate's loud snores, she picked it up. "Hello?"  
  
"Is this the room of Rika Nonaka?" said a deep voice.  
  
"Yes, and this is she." Rika wondered what was up. "How may I help you?"  
  
"This is agent Y from the former Hypnos program."  
  
Rika gasped. "Hyp---Hypnos? As in the---"  
  
"---former secret government project to eliminate any traces of artificial life, yes."  
  
"But I thought---that was gone--over with---"  
  
"Yes it was, Ms. Nonaka. As you may already know, the Hypnos base was destroyed by a malfunction  
in the---"  
  
"...Juggernaut execution." Rika finished. "What--what is this all about?"  
  
"That's what I'm telling you." the man, Agent Y, said. "We have made some shocking develoments."  
  
"About DIGIMON?" Rika exclaimed. "How---"  
  
"We're not exactly sure, but our research team has indeed found some new Digimon trying to  
bioemerge into the real world again."  
  
Rika was now very confused. "I don't get it---what does this have to do with me?"  
  
"We have contacted your other friends---" Agent Y paused. "Um, Takato Matsuki, Henry Wong---"  
  
"---we can't help you, Agent Y. We haven't got our Digimon anymore."  
  
"I'm well aware of that."  
  
"Then how---"  
  
"Your knowledge of Digimon still may provide some use to us."  
  
"What---" Rika sputtered.  
  
"As I understand it, you are within 20 minutes car travel time to West Shinjuku park, are you not?"  
  
"Yes, but my friends---"  
  
"We have already contacted them. You are the last to be told."  
  
*Why does everyone know what's going on before me?* Rika thought angrily. "Do you want me to meet  
you there?"  
  
"Yes, please. You'd best get going right now."  
  
"All right." Rika was still pretty shocked. "I'll be right there."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
The wheels of Rika's car came to a screeching halt as she got out and ran to the entrance of the  
park. She stopped dead in her tracks, looking at the group of people that stood there.  
  
*It's them.* She said, gazing at her old friends. "Wha---"  
  
"Hi Rika!" Jeri squealed, running to Rika and hugging her. "Hello, hello, hello!"  
  
"Jer---Jeri?" Rika said in disbelief. *So, Jeri is still her happy-go-lucky peachy self.*   
  
Jeri nodded vigorously. "I haven't seen you in so long!"  
  
And the reunion was made. It turned out that Jeri was studying to be a pediatrician.   
  
"I've always loved kids," she said enthusiastically.  
  
Rika smiled. "What are you doing, Henry?"  
  
"I'm going to be an engineer."  
  
"That's great! I'm doing that, plus I'm minoring in business, so you might be working for me one  
day!"  
  
"I can't wait," Henry said, and everyone laughed.  
  
"What about you, Takato?" Jeri said shyly.  
  
"My dad wants me to become a lawyer," Takato said sadly. "But my major right now is undecided."  
  
"For two years, now?" Henry said. "I thought you were going to be a curator or something."  
  
Takato laughed. "Me too."  
  
Kazu finally spoke up. "I'm a standup comedian."  
  
"You don't say," Rika said, turning to him. "Really?"  
  
"Yep." Kazu said proudly. "Been doing comedy clubs every night."  
  
"Well, I'm going to be a bank manager." said Kenta.  
  
"I'm sure you will." Takato smiled.  
  
"Hey, you guys..." Rika said, looking around. "Where's---where's Ryo?"  
  
Everyone looked down. Jeri approached Rika. "He's--not coming."  
  
"He's not?" Rika's heart sank like an anchor. "How come?"  
  
"Too much work, I guess." Jeri said quietly.  
  
"I know Sapporo is far from here and everything, but---"   
  
"What is it, Rika?"  
  
Rika shook her head. "Nothing. I was just hoping to see him, that's all."  
  
"I hear you two broke up!" Kazu said, and Henry and Takato dived in to shut him up.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rika." Jeri said.  
  
"That's OK. I guess it wasn't meant to be after all."  
  
Everyone looked away, not sure of how to act.  
  
"Thank you for coming." said the same deep voice, emerging from the shadows.  
  
"Let me guess," said Kenta. "Agent Y?"  
  
The man took his hat and sunglasses off. "Yes."  
  
"YAMAKI?!" everyone shouted at once.  
  
Yamaki smiled. "Please. Come with me."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Everybody was in Yamaki's small, cramped office, looking around. It had been quite a while since  
they were there, and Yamaki still hadn't said a thing. He was just writing something on a piece  
of paper.   
  
Rika had had enough. "You care to tell us what this is about, Mr. Yamaki?"  
  
"Hmm?" Yamaki looked up. "Yes, all right. Here goes."  
  
He took a deep breath. "Everyone remember D-Reaper?"  
  
"Too well." Kazu shuddered as if he remembered a very foul and ugly memory, which was true.  
  
"Well, new developments have shown that..." Yamaki paused. "When Juggernaut was executed inside the  
Digimon MegaGargomon..."  
  
"Yes??" Henry asked anxiously.  
  
"...the D-Reaper was sent back to the Digital World in its original, harmless size, right? We thought  
it could do no more damage, but..."  
  
"But what?" Takato had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
  
"Before the D-Reaper had all of its destruction capabilities sucked out of itself, it used whatever  
evil energy it had left to---to---"  
  
"To what?" Jeri whimpered.  
  
"...to create a back-up army."  
  
All that were in the room except Yamaki gasped.   
  
"The army seems to be in the form that D-Reaper's agents were. After all these years...it seems  
that some Digimon have awaken them by accident."  
  
"A-A-A-Awakened?" Rika stammmered.   
  
"Yes." Even Yamaki was trembling. "But the good news is that..."  
  
"Good news? There's good news?" Kenta asked.  
  
"We have discovered their motive: to take another human being into study."  
  
"No!" Jeri screamed. "Not again!"  
  
"Jeri, calm down," Takato said nervously, putting his arm around her. "Calm down!"  
  
"That's not good news!" Kazu shouted.  
  
"We've looked at their schematics, for they're just artificial bits of data, right? And it says that  
since the D-Reaper had very little power left when they were created, after they've taken a human  
hostage and studied them, therefore completing their goal, they will automatically be destroyed."  
  
"Self-destruct?" Henry's expression was now very grave.  
  
"Might be. Or another form of killing themselves off." Yamaki sighed. "To make a long story short,  
all they need is a human's life to be destroyed."  
  
"What will they do with a human once they get one?" Rika gulped.  
  
"We're not exactly sure, but they will study this human being and possibly destroy that person or  
send them elsewhere."  
  
"What good is it to gather human data if you're just going to be destroyed afterward?" Takato said.  
  
"They'll go to the place where all dead Digimon go, and there they'll try to recreate themselves  
again using human knowledge. Because after all, we humans were the ones that created Digimon. Once   
they're recreated again, there's no stopping them."  
  
Now, the atmosphere of the room had become scared and afraid. All the people were now panicky and  
fearful.  
  
"I'm sure that if we look into it, we can create a program that will abolish them for good before  
they get the chance to recreate themselves." Yamaki said with confidence. "We can do it."  
  
"Well, you better get started." Rika stood up. "We'll do the best we can to help you."  
  
"Yeah!" Kazu said. "It'll be like old times, fighting against evil!"  
  
"I want you to understand that this is a very serious matter," Yamaki told them all. "You are all  
adults now."  
  
"We understand." Henry got up, too.  
  
"We'll destroy all of the D-Reaper's backup agents!" Takato said, helping Jeri to her feet. "What  
do you say, Jeri?"  
  
"O--Ok." Jeri said with difficulty.  
  
"There's also one more thing." Yamaki said.  
  
"What now?" Kenta was already nervous.  
  
"The back up army will only try to capture a human being with substantial Digimon knowledge."  
  
Rika gasped. "That means---"  
  
"There's a very high possibility that one of you will be captured."  
  
Jeri panicked again. "Oh no!"  
  
"We can't have any of you abducted, so for the time being you should all stay in this building for  
your safety, understand?"  
  
There came a chorus of 'sures' and 'OKs' from the group.  
  
"What about Ryo?" said Rika, and everybody looked at her. "Does he know? What about HIS safety?"  
  
Yamaki was silent.  
  
"WELL?" Rika said.  
  
Yamaki refused to answer.  
  
  
  
...end of chapter VII!  
  
  
  
A/N: Please don't kill me because I broke Ryo and Rika up!! I guess you'll just have to keep reading  
to see what happens huh? I'm a bad girl, I know. ;D 


	9. What's Ryo Up To?

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
  
Chapter VIII  
"What's Ryo Up To?"  
  
  
  
A/N: The question that has been fillin up my inbox is: "Do you know the time for Digimon Frontier?"  
Well, I HAVE been watching Digimon Frontier on UPN. They've dubbed it pretty good, and they've changed  
Izumi to 'Zoe', Junpei to "J.P.", knocked out the 'u' in Kouji's name, and Tomoki to 'Tommy'. I like the   
voice for Izumi, it's fits her well. They've also got Ruki narrating it now! :o Who'd thought so? It   
really bugs me that Tamers is no longer on FOX Kids. It has been removed from FOX's new Saturday lineup, the   
"Fox Box". Oh well...UPN now shows it on Tuesdays-Fridays and Frontier on Mondays and Sundays. I live in Cali,   
so I go by PST. Digimon shows on UPN at 7:30 AM for me, and Frontier on Sundays shows at 10:00 AM. As soon  
as I find more times, I'll tell you, those who emailed me. Only problem about Tamers on UPN is  
that they skip a bunch of episodes in between. Like last Wednesday, they showed the beginning episode  
where everyone goes into the Digital World, and then on Thursday, they skip an episode, and on  
Friday they skip two episodes to get to "Friend or Foe? Akiyama Ryo the Legendary Tamer" not that  
I'm complaining...hehehe...anyway, that's my little DigiNews section. On with the show!  
  
  
P.S. Sorry about the rapid skip of of time. It'll work itself out later.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Three months since the announcement of the D-Reaper's backup army. Everyone is staying at the newly rebuilt  
Hypnos building, as Yamaki had suggested them doing. They all chipped in with the work, and they  
had new developments everyday. So far, things were going pretty good...  
  
"I still don't get it," Kazu loudly chewed on a slice of pizza. "If this little backup army is  
going to bioemerge into the real world, what's taking them so long?"  
  
  
"Well---" Yamaki started to say, but the others cut him off.  
  
"Are you saying you actually WANT them here?" Kenta said in shock.  
  
"No, I don't WANT them here..." Kazu swallowed. "I just want this whole thing to be over so we  
can get back to our normal lives."  
  
"And never speak a word to each other again?" Jeri said quietly.  
  
All that were in the room looked a Jeri, who was standing at the window, staring out into the  
city pensively. It had been a while since she said anything.  
  
"It's been hard, Jer." Takato said guiltily.  
  
"We don't talk, don't call, not even write." Jeri was still talking silently.  
  
"We've all been busy," Henry tossed a pen up and down.  
  
Jeri shook her head. "Yeah, of course. I'm sorry I ever brung it up."  
  
All of them now had a feeling of guilt on their conciouses.   
  
"The reason they're not bioemerging is that they're biding their time," Yamaki explained. "They're  
actually very intelligent. They have to save up some energy before breaking the barrier between  
the Real and Digital Worlds."  
  
"Can't we just go get them?" Kazu asked. "Takato found an entrance to the Digital World in the  
park all those years ago, didn't you, Takato?"  
  
"Well, yeah---" Takato said.  
  
"---but we can't do that because we don't know what we're up against. We'd be walking right into  
a trap." Yamaki continued typing away on his computer.  
  
"My dad can help." Henry spoke up. "And his team of monster makers---"  
  
"---I wouldn't disturb them with this."  
  
"But to quote you, Mr. Yamaki..." Jeri said. "'The entire world is at stake.'"  
  
"I realize that, Miss Katou." Yamaki turned around to look at them. "But we simply can't do that.  
This is something we must find the answers to ourselves."  
  
And he left them with their confused thoughts.  
  
"Takato," Jeri whispered. "What about Ryo?"  
  
"We've already asked, Jeri." Takato shrugged. "He's not 'fessing up bout what's going on with Ryo."  
  
"Maybe---" Jeri hesitated. "Ryo's got a secret mission!"  
  
"Don't be silly." Takato went back to looking up information. "If Yamaki decides he wants to tell  
us something, he'll tell us."  
  
Jeri pouted.  
  
* * *  
  
  
A little while later, Rika came into the room, her face sad and grave. She put the telephone back  
down on its reciever.  
  
"So there you are!" Kazu said. "Here we are working, and you were just yakking away on the pho---OWW!"  
Kazu yelled as Takato whacked him around the head.  
  
"What happened?" Henry asked. "Is everything OK at home?"  
  
Rika couldn't seem to get the words out. "I'm---I'm afraid that I've got some bad news, everyone."  
  
They all stopped what they were doing. Yamaki stared at her. "What is it?"  
  
Rika sniffed, and it was obvious she was trying to hold back tears. "I'm very sorry, but I can't  
help you as often anymore."  
  
Jeri gasped. "Why? What's wrong, Rika?"  
  
Rika looked down. "I--I--I just got off the phone with my--my mother. She said that my grandmother's  
taken ill."  
  
Everbody looked shocked. Jeri gasped again. "Oh my goodness!"  
  
Rika nodded. "Yes, and I'm going to go home straight away. Grandmother's already gotten back from  
the hospital, and I've got to help my mother take care of her. I'll send my work to you guys when  
I find the time. I'm sorry." She started to get her stuff together.  
  
"Wait." Yamaki got up. "You must realize---the danger---"  
  
"I don't care." Rika threw things into her sports bag.   
  
"Rika, stop." Kenta sat up, too. "You'll be taken hostage---"  
  
"I SAID," Rika fumed. "I don't care."  
  
They fell silent, not knowing what to say.  
  
"Good luck then." Henry said, and they all looked at him. "Be careful."  
  
"Thank you." Rika put on her jacket. "Like I said, I'll send any new developments to you here.  
Goodbye. I'll stay in touch."  
  
They watched her walk out of the door.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"More tea, Grandmother?" Rika put the tray next to her grandmother's bed. "It's herbal tea. It'll  
make you feel better."  
  
"Thank you, dear." Grandmother coughed, and Rika looked down sadly. "What's wrong, dear?"  
  
Rika sniffed. "Nothing."  
  
"I'm your grandmother, Rika. Don't think I don't know when something's wrong."  
  
Rika sighed. "Grandmother..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What's wrong?" Rika said awkwardly. "With you, I mean. How are you sick?"  
  
Grandmother hesitated. "Cancer."  
  
Rika gasped and started to panic. "Cancer?! But---"  
  
"Shh, darling." Grandmother said. "Calm down."  
  
Rika breathed. "Cancer?"  
  
"Hai, liver cancer."  
  
Rika swallowed a lump in her throat. It was difficult for her to accept what was happening.  
"How long?"  
  
"I've got a year." Grandmother said. "At the most."  
  
Rika was very close to tears, but since she was always good at hiding her feelings, not even her  
own mother could tell. She simply nodded.  
  
"I'm glad you're taking this so well," Grandmother leaned back and took a sip of her tea.  
  
"Yeah." Rika said with difficulty. "So, are you all right here?"  
  
"Yes, I am." she smiled. "I don't want to take up your time."  
  
"No, I like helping you out." Rika said quickly. "I really do."  
  
"Tell you what, Rika." Grandmother put her cup of tea down. "If you really want to help me out,   
why don't you go get some rest, hmm?"  
  
"But I'm not tired---"  
  
"Nonsense. Your eyes look tired indeed."  
  
"But will you be OK? Where's Mom?"  
  
"She's gone out to pick up a few things."  
  
"Then there's no one to watch you---"  
  
"For goodness' sake, Rika, I'm not paralyzed." Grandmother said indignantly. "Now, go and take  
a nap. I'll be here, reading my stories." She held up a book.  
  
Rika was worried, but gave in. "OK...just ring your bell if you need anything." she picked up  
the bell on the night stand.   
  
"Don't worry." Grandmother said. "I'll be fine."  
  
* * *  
  
Rika closed the door behind her as she exited her grandmother's bedroom. She walked around,   
wondering what to do.   
  
"I guess I'd better do what Grandma says." Rika yawned.  
  
She began looking for some blankets to cushion the couch with when she had a sudden idea. "I wonder..."  
  
She dashed to her old bedroom and gingerly slided the screen door open. There was the room  
exactly as she had left it two years ago. *So Mother WAS lying...she didn't make it into a guest  
room!*  
  
Rika went and sat down on the desk chair, and began looking through her old stuff. *If I can stay  
up long enough to look through these...* She bit her lip guiltily. *I should be working on research  
for the deletion program.*  
  
But that soon left her mind as she found old school papers and tests. She looked them over and over  
again and couldn't believe that that was the kind of person she was back then. *I wrote my name  
so weird then...*  
  
After she had finished looking through everything she could find, she yawned again. As she opened  
a desk drawer to put the last paper in, she found a photo. *Hmm...what's this?*  
  
"Is it possible?" she said aloud, reading what was written on the back. "Six years ago..."  
  
She turned it over. It was a picture of her and Ryo, with her kissing his cheek(A/N: Remember in   
four when they all ditched school to go out, and Jeri took this picture? Yeah, that one!). For  
a split second she looked at it and her eyes softened, but then she threw it back in the desk  
drawer. *That's all over with now.* she thought with a feeling of remorse.  
  
*You can't really have a relationship when you only see each other once a month.* Rika thought of  
the reason why they broke up: lack of communication. *You really couldn't know if your significant  
other was cheating on you...not that I accuse him of it. We're still friends, I guess...based on the  
definiton of 'friends'.*  
  
Rika angrily kicked her stack of old Yaffa blocks over and the whole thing went tumbling down.  
*Aw, crap!* She bent down to catch them before they made anymore noise and was surprised about what  
was behind them all this time.  
  
"Ryo's necklace." she whispered, picking up the gold chain necklace with the purple heart. "I  
remember."  
  
[flashback]  
  
  
"I'm going away to college, tomorrow." Rika said to Ryo over the phone.  
  
"You are? Well, I am too. I'm going to miss you." he replied.  
  
"I'm leaving the necklace you gave me here so that it doesn't get stolen." Rika said.  
  
Rika went over to the Yaffa storage boxes and put the necklace in its case, on top of the stack  
of blocks.  
  
  
[end flashback]  
  
  
"I guess it must've dropped." Rika said, picking up its dusty box.   
  
  
*I forgot all about it when Ryo and I broke up...* Rika had another stab of guilt. *Well, if we  
are still friends...I guess it would be OK...*  
  
She dusted off the necklace's pendent and put it on. Her heart instantly felt warmer. *What's this  
strange feeling?*  
  
She was too tired to work it out. She went to lie down on the living room sofa and soon she was  
fast asleep.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Ahh!" Rika rolled and fell off the sofa at the sound of the doorbell. "What the...?"  
  
She was so sleepy, it took a few seconds to her to put two and two together. *Oh, someone's at  
the door.*  
  
She got up and combed her chest-length brown hair with her fingers. *Maybe it's Mom..wait..Mom  
has a key...or maybe one of my friends? Yamaki?*  
  
Wondering who it could be at the middle of the day, Rika straightened out her light blue tank  
top and matching blue running shorts. She sleepily answered the door.   
  
She went wide awake when she saw who was standing at the door. "Ryo!" Rika exclaimed. "What are  
you doing here?! Not that I didn't want to see you..." she added quickly.  
  
Ryo stood there, looking very serious. "Hi, Rika. Long time no see."   
  
Rika was sad that he didn't have more to say. "What...what are you doing here?"  
  
Ryo laughed. "Oh, now you don't want to see me?"  
  
"Of course not," she snapped. "...come on in. I was just taking a nap."  
  
"Oh, I didn't mean to wake you." Ryo stepped in, glancing around. *It's exactly as I remembered  
it.*  
  
"That's all right..." Rika said as Ryo sat down. She couldn't help but eye him suspiciously as  
she was folding the blankets. "What ARE you doing here?"  
  
"I---" he started to say, then he noticed what she had around her neck. "You're---" he pointed to  
the necklace. "You're still wearing it..."  
  
"Oh!" Rika touched the necklace, now mortified. "I'm sorry---I thought---you probably want it   
back..."  
  
"No, it's OK, really!" Ryo said, afraid that he had upset her. "It was a present."  
  
Rika shook her head. "But now that we're---" She paused.  
  
He looked away. "Yeah."  
  
Rika sat down across from him. She didn't know what to say.   
  
"So why aren't you at your dorm?" Ryo finally spoke up. "Your roommate said you went home---"  
  
"Yeah, my grandmother's ill."   
  
"I'm sorry to hear that," Ryo said sincerely.  
  
*Why does he always have to sound so honest?* Rika thought. "So, if you want the necklace back---"  
she started again.  
  
"For the last time, Rika, please...keep it." Ryo sighed. "It was a present from when I---when I  
loved you."  
  
Rika felt like throwing up. "When you lovED me? Are you saying that---that---"  
  
"No, no, no!" Ryo said quickly. "I'll always love you, Rika."  
  
She did not feel better. "I know that." Rika bit her lip. "But I mean...you don't love me love  
me..." *What did I just say?!*   
  
Ryo was confused. "I thought the reason we broke up is that YOU stopped loving ME."  
  
"What are you talking about? We broke up because I was angry at you, not because I stopped  
loving you!" Rika shouted. *What did I say again?!*  
  
They went outside to continue the conversation. Ryo was even more confused. "You--you still love  
me?"  
  
Rika kicked a nearby stone, but all she got out of that was immense pain in her foot. "Yes...yes  
I still love you, OK?! I'm not sure if I can ever stop loving you..."  
  
Ryo sat down on the hall walkway outside the door. "Then why...?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Rika sat down next to him.   
  
They where quiet for a long time, but contemplating to themselves. Finally Rika spoke up, her  
voice full of sadness. "What happened to us, Ryo?"  
  
Ryo punched a wooden roof support. "Why don't you tell me that?"  
  
She went over to the pond, watching the tadpoles and the turtles swim. "It's not important. You  
don't love me anymore...or even like me for that matter. Who cares."  
  
"I care!" Ryo said indignantly. "If you're willing to throw away everything we ever had, then fine.  
But I'm not going to."  
  
She turned to look at him with fire in her eyes. "What are you saying?"  
  
"I'm saying..." He sighed. "That I still feel for you what I did all those years ago."  
  
"Ryo, I can't do this right now!" Rika yelled. "I can't have you just pop up in my life again  
and expect everything to be all right! My mom is going to through an emotional breakdown, my  
grandmother has a year to live and---" she stopped there and exhaled. *I wonder if he knows  
about...about...*  
  
Ryo took her by the shoulders and shook her. "Rika. I understand."  
  
"NO, you don't!"  
  
"I may not get your family's problems, but I know. About the disturbance in the Digital World."  
  
Rika's expression changed. "Huh?"  
  
"Shhh," he said. "I've known for a while now. Before you guys, I bet. And I have a special job."  
  
"What?"  
  
"In order for Yamaki's plan to work, we're going to need bait." Ryo said.  
  
"So? What does that have to do with---" Rika gasped. "No, Ryo."  
  
"Rika, it's OK. I've volunteered to do this." Ryo said reassuringly.  
  
"But--but--what if you get hurt?" Rika said, her voice full of concern.  
  
"Hey, when I was 14, I sent 5/6 of a year in the Digital World, remember?"  
  
"But you had your Digimon and now---"  
  
"I know their instincts better than anyone, Rika. Hypnos needs my help. I know how Digimon think. I  
can trick them into getting where we want them."  
  
"Let someone else do it!" Rika said, panicking. "You're too young to die!"  
  
"Who ever said I was going to die?" Ryo said. "Do you want me to die?"  
  
"No!" Rika said, throwing her arms around him. "I can't lose you..."  
  
He hugged her back. "It's OK...nothing's going to happen to me..."  
  
"You can't be sure of that." Rika pouted. "Unless you let someone else do it."  
  
He broke out of her grasp. "I'll be fine. I've formulated a plan with Yamaki. He didn't want to  
tell you guys until the last moment."  
  
Rika walked around the garden, looking at the planted flowers. "Do you remember our first date,  
Ryo?" (A/N: See chapter five)  
  
*What's that got to do with anything?* Ryo pondered. "Yeah..."  
  
"And you told me.." She looked up at a tree with pretty cherry blossoms. "That you wanted to spend  
the rest of your life with me?"  
  
"Yes." Ryo said guitily.  
  
"If you do this, the rest of your life will be the rest of the year." Rika warned.   
  
Ryo sighed. "I told you, Rika. Nothing's going to happen." He walked over to her and took her  
hands in his. "You're going to have to trust me."  
  
"I don't know..." Rika frowned. "Last time I trusted you, you said we were going to be together  
forever."  
  
Ryo didn't know what to say.  
  
"You can't determine the future." Rika said.  
  
"No, I can't." Ryo looked her straight in the eye. "But I can try."  
  
"Does this mean...you're going to do it?" Rika started to get tears in her eyes, but quickly wiped  
them away.  
  
Ryo nodded.  
  
"If anyone can do it..." Rika said, wiping away more tears. "It's you Ryo."  
  
He smiled. "Thank you."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For giving me the opinon that means to most to me in the world." He kissed her.  
  
"I'll never forgive myself if anything happened to you." Rika hung onto him.  
  
"You won't have to." Ryo said. "Because I'll come back safe and sound, you'll see."  
  
* * *  
  
Rika showed him out. "Well, goodbye for now..." she smiled. "Call me."  
  
He winked at her. "I will."  
  
She watched him go to his car. She was about to go back inside when...  
  
"Hey Rika." Ryo took out his keys.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Do YOU remember our first date?" He asked teasingly.  
  
"Of course." Rika was puzzled. "Why?"  
  
"'Cause I wasn't kidding about marrying you."  
  
"Wha---"  
  
But before she could say anything else, the black car sped away into the setting sun.  
  
"Ryo, what are you up to?"  
  
  
  
...end of Chapter VIII!  
  
  
A/N: Well that gives you kind of a hint of what to look forward to in future chapters. I broke  
them up for ONE chapter...I hope that wasn't too much..;). But in their world they had broken  
up for about half a year. Thanks for reading and, as always, plz tell me your comments by reviewing!  
See ya! ;D 


	10. The Plan Becomes Reality

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
  
Chapter IX  
"The Plan Becomes Reality"  
  
  
A/N: The long-awaited short chapter! ;D Enjoy!  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Everyone was 'hard at work'. Kazu snored behind his computer, Takato was munching on a bag of  
peanuts while staring at the screen, Henry was tossing his pencil up and down, Kenta was secretly  
playing computer games, and Jeri was reading a book.   
  
They all jumped when Yamaki addressed them. "Listen up, team."  
  
They went over to his desk, yawning and stretching. Kazu was still half asleep. "What is it? I  
was having a good sle---I mean, I was having a great time looking up those old D-Reaper videos."  
  
Jeri laughed at him, then more seriously, turned to their boss. "Did something new come in?"  
  
"Yes, it has." He was even happy. "Rika has sent us her work, and she's made an amazing breakthrough."  
  
"She has?" Henry asked. "What'd she find out?"  
  
"The D-Reaper's weakest point is its insides." Yamaki said.  
  
Everyone gasped. Jeri whispered, "I remember now! All those years ago we had to go inside the D-Reaper  
to destroy it!"  
  
"Oh yeah..." Kenta scratched his head. "Good point."  
  
"So what do we do?" Henry inquired. "Just...go for it?"  
  
"No, that would be walking blindly into a trap." Yamaki took off his sunglasses. "The program is  
76% finished. Once it's complete, we'll create a diversion, while our tech team hacks into the  
D-Army's main programming and uploads the virus into their systems. If successful, the virus  
will rip the D-Army apart one by one; confusing it and deleting everything and anything it stores  
in its database."  
  
"Suh-weet!" Kazu said, and everybody laughed. "How are we supposed to do it again?"  
  
They all groaned. Yamaki spoke again. "The only problems that can go wrong with this is that  
our diversion fails, or that the D-Army is stronger than we think it is."  
  
"And if the tech teams fails to get in?" Takato said.  
  
"They won't. We still have the schematics and passwords from all those years ago, and the D-Army  
is made up of the exact same materials. We can do it."  
  
"That's great!" Jeri jumped up and down. "What now?"  
  
"That's not it." Yamaki sighed. "Don't you want to know the diversion?"  
  
"Oh, yes, please." Jeri said.  
  
"The military's agreed to help us. They'll use their weapons from all sides to get the D-Army into  
a state of panic. And if it doesn't work..."  
  
"Then what?" Henry's expression was still worried.  
  
"Then we have a backup plan. We'll use a single human being to lure it into the place where the  
signal from our labs' computers will be able to reach it. Of course, there is a slight possibility..."  
  
"That this human will be hurt?" Kenta's voice was shaky.  
  
"Yes." Yamaki looked down. "But the chance of it happening is only 31%."  
  
"You're throwing statistics at us again!" Takato said. "Just tell us who this person is."  
  
"Uh--"  
  
"Me." said a voice at the door.  
  
They all turned to look at the speaker as he stepped out of the shadows. Ryo smiled at them all.  
"Hi everybody."  
  
They were silent for a moment. Then, as if on cue, they all burst out talking. It was a chorus  
of "where were you"s and "what are you doing here"s.  
  
"You're gonna be the decoy, Ryo?" Kazu asked, his eyes shining. "That's gutsy!"  
  
*I can see he still worships me.* Ryo thought nervously. *Weird. I'm not anything great. Oh well.*  
"Yeah, I guess."  
  
"I can't believe you're gonna let him do this!" Jeri said to Yamaki. "What if---"  
  
"...you sound like Rika, Jeri." Ryo said.  
  
Jeri turned towards Ryo. "You went to see Rika?"  
  
"Yeah, I did."  
  
They were all silent. Kazu spoke up. "So what hap---"  
  
"SHUT UP, KAZU!" Everyone yelled, and he fell silent.  
  
Ryo laughed. "It's OK, really. Me and Rika are going strong again."  
  
"That's wonderful!" Jeri gushed. "If there's two people that deserve to be happy in the world,  
it's you two."  
  
Ryo blushed. *Does she really think so? I wouldn't mind me, as long as Rika was happy...*  
  
"So now that you're here," Yamaki addressed Ryo. "I have to tell you about the---"  
  
"Don't bother." Ryo said. "I already heard. I've been standing out there for a while."  
  
"Oh." Yamaki was taken aback. "Well, that just leaves Rika---"  
  
"Right here." Rika stepped into the room.  
  
"How--" Ryo turned around.  
  
"I was standing right behind you, silly." Rika walked up to them.  
  
"Glad you didn't take the oppurtunity to spook me." Ryo smiled.  
  
"Now why would I do such a thing?" Rika handed a new stack of research papers to Yamaki. "I wrote  
the bug to a CD, if you don't mind."  
  
"That's perfect," Yamaki took the envelope from her. "So, team. Time to make this plan a reality."  
  
"Yeah!"   
  
  
  
...end of Chapter IX!  
  
  
  
A/N: If you wanna know what happens, you'd better review, because I have to see how many people  
actually want me to continue. Thnx! 


	11. The Question

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
  
Chapter X  
"The Question"  
  
  
  
A/N: Obvious, isn't it? Hehehe. A songchapter, Avril Lavigne's "Things I'll Never Say". I've been  
telling all my friends to go out and get her CD cuz shes a great singer! Go Avril! ::ahem:: on  
with the show!  
  
  
PS: I don't own the song, Avril does. So please don't sue! (I'm only so broke right now, so it won't   
do you good anyway....)  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
"Wow, can you believe it?" Rika said excitely to Jeri as they ate lunch. "Ryo, laying his  
life down for us!"  
  
"Yes, it is very brave of him." Jeri tore the crust off her sandwich. "I wish this was all over  
with though."  
  
"Me too." Rika sighed.   
  
"I can't wait to get married." Jeri said dremily.  
  
Rika looked at her strangely. "OK, that was random. What's the deal, Jeri?"   
  
"I know I'm still in school, but after I graduate...maybe..." Jeri shook her head. "Never mind."  
  
"Oh, I see." Rika sipped her coffee with a mischievious grin. "Trying to pick up on someone, eh,   
Jeri Katou?"  
  
"Rika!" Jeri was blushing.  
  
"Takato maybe?" Rika had to jump out of the way to avoid Jeri's attempt to hit her.   
  
"I don't know." Jeri said, looking down.  
  
"Bleech, they sure have gross coffee here." Rika dumped her cup into a nearby trash can, and sat  
down next to Jeri. "You know, Jeri..."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I've seen the way Takato looks at you, you know. We all have."  
  
"STILL?" Jeri was apalled. "I thought that was only a childhood crush."  
  
"Maybe." Rika unwrapped an energy bar.   
  
"What about you?" Jeri asked.  
  
"What ABOUT me?" Rika turned away quickly.  
  
"Don't you want to get married? To Ryo?" Jeri said. *Ah, sweet revenge.*  
  
"That's silly!" Rika started to blush. "I'm only 20!"  
  
"Don't deny it," Jeri smirked. "It's obvious."  
  
"I do love him, but that does mean I want to marry him soon." Rika gasped. "I mean, that DOESN'T  
mean I want to marry him soon!" She started stammering.  
  
"Too late." Jeri packed up her stuff. "I'm off to tell him now. Good day."  
  
Rika gasped again in disbelief and chased after her friend. "JERI!"  
  
  
I'm tuggin' at my hair  
  
I'm pulling at my clothes   
  
I'm trying to keep my cool  
  
I know it shows  
  
  
"So you and Rika getting serious?" Henry asked, making small talk.  
  
"Huh?" Ryo stopped typing. "What do you mean?"  
  
"He means," said Kazu, "Are you guys---you know--"  
  
"No, I don't, Kazu!" Henry said, his eyes wide. "Eww! No, OK?"  
  
"OK, sorry." Kazu backed off.  
  
"We're all right." Ryo said, plain and simple.  
  
"Oh, OK." Henry went back to his work.  
  
After a while, Ryo turned back to Henry. "Why?"  
  
"Just wondering."  
  
"You see," Kazu butted in again. "He's got a bet with Takato that you and Rika are going to get married  
soon."  
  
"Kazu---" Henry rounded on him.  
  
"Well, look at the time!" Kazu didn't even have a watch on. "Time to go to lunch. Bye!" And he  
left.  
  
Ryo grinned. "What a weird guy."  
  
"Sorry." Henry apologized sheepishly. "Takato and I didn't mean to interfere with your personal  
lives."  
  
"That's OK, really." Ryo put down his pen. "So who thinks I'm going to propose to her?"  
  
"Takato does." Henry said. "But we can call it off---"  
  
"Actually, I think you should keep it." Ryo got up.  
  
"Wha---" Henry got the idea. "Oh..."  
  
  
I'm staring at my feet  
  
My cheeks are turning red  
  
I'm searching for the words  
  
Inside my head  
  
  
With the bioemerging of the D-Army less than two weeks away, the team had lots of work and very  
little time to themselves. So when Ryo and Rika actually had some time off, they spent it with  
each other.  
  
"Aren't they pretty tonight?" Rika admired a constellation. She and Ryo were on her rooftop, star-  
gazing.  
  
"Yeah." Ryo looked at her. "You are."  
  
"I meant the stars, silly." Rika smiled at him. "Isn't this nice?"   
  
"Yes, it is." Ryo pointed up into the clear night sky. "Look!"  
  
"A shooting star!" Rika said. She closed her eyes and made a wish.   
  
Ryo looked at her curiously. "Whatcha wish for?"  
  
"If I told you, it won't come true." Rika said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Yeah, I never got that star wishing crap." Ryo laughed.  
  
"It's not crap!" Rika punched his shoulder playfully. "I truly believe in it."  
  
  
I'm feeling nervous  
  
Trying to be so perfect  
  
'Cause I know you're worth it  
  
You're worth it, yeah...  
  
  
"Rika," He took her hand. "I was thinking yesterday...about us..."  
  
"Us?" Rika said nervously. "What about us?"  
  
"Do you see us going anywhere?" Ryo asked.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I don't know." Ryo sat up. "I guess..it just feels...weird. We're just here...with no clear aspect  
in the future..."  
  
"Ryo..." Rika sat up, too. "Why can't you just accept it for what it is? We're here now, aren't  
we?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"Then that's all there is to it. We'll think about the future when it gets here." Rika smiled at  
him. "Let's just be together, OK?"  
  
"OK."  
  
  
If I could say what I want to say  
  
I'd say I want to blow you...away  
  
Be with you every night  
  
Am I squeezing you too tight  
  
  
*Oh Ryo,* Rika thought as he rested his head in her lap. *If you only knew the truth...that I want  
to be with you forever...*  
  
"I wish I could stay with you forever, Ryo." Rika was unaware of the fact that she said this aloud.  
  
"You want to spend forever with me, Rika?" Ryo broke through her reverie.  
  
"Oh!" Rika snapped back to reality. "What? Did I say that?"  
  
"Yeah." Ryo looked up into the moonlight heavens. "Do you?"  
  
"Do I what?"  
  
"Want to spend forever with me?"  
  
"Uh..." Rika gulped.   
  
  
If I could say what I want to see  
  
I want to see you go down...on one knee  
  
Marry me today, guess I'm wishing my life away  
  
With these things I'll never say  
  
  
*YES, I do Ryo!* Her mind screamed. *Tell him, Rika. Tell him.* "Uh..." Rika couldn't get the  
words out. She looked at her watch. "It's getting late. Almost midnight."  
  
"You're right." He got up and helped her to her feet. "Come on."  
  
"Well, good night then." Rika said once they were back on the ground. She gave him a hug, holding  
on to him tight.   
  
"Uh, Rika---" Ryo said, in pain. "I love you too, but would you mind not cutting off my circulation?"  
  
"Oh!" Rika let go of him. "Was I squeezing you too tight?"  
  
"Yeah, sort of."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
Ryo kissed her. "Good night. I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Bye." Rika closed the gate after him and walked back into the house, feeling too sleepy to argue  
with herself.  
  
  
It don't do me any good  
  
It's just a waste of time  
  
What use is it to you   
  
What's on my mind  
  
  
"I'm very proud of you all." Yamaki said, smiling. he held up a CD-ROM containing the D-Army  
Destroyer program. "It's complete!"  
  
"Yay." They all said tiredly.  
  
"Our readings show that almost all of the D-Army is bursting through the border between the Digital  
World and our world. "They'll be here in about a week or so."  
  
"We're all ready." Rika said. "What about you, Ryo?"  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be." He grinned at her.  
  
"It seems they've joined together to form a huge blob." Yamaki held up pictures taken by satellites.  
  
"Gee, where have I seen that before?" Kenta said jokingly.  
  
Rika looked at Ryo, worried for his safety. How he had convinced her that he would be OK, she never  
knew. *There's something about Ryo that makes you want to believe him. Maybe it's his undeniable  
charm.* Rika speculated. *Whatever it is, it seems to be working....but I'm still so scared for  
him...* She walked over to the window and stared out at the city skyscrapers pensively.  
  
Ryo glanced over at her. *I wonder what's wrong.* He walked over and put his arms around her. "Hey."  
  
She turned around and smiled at him. "Hi."  
  
"You want to tell me what's on your mind?"  
  
Rika frowned. "Nothing."  
  
  
If it ain't coming out  
  
We're not going anywhere   
  
So why can't I just tell you   
  
That I care  
  
  
"I thought we went through this," Ryo said calmly.   
  
"I know, I know." Rika let out a sigh. "It's just---"  
  
"Just what?"  
  
"Like I said, nothing." Rika said. *Rika, why can't you just tell him? Do you have commitment   
problems?* her mind scolded her. "Uh, Ryo---"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Do you ever---that is to say...." she turned around and faced him.   
  
"What?"  
  
"Do you ever----" *Consider proposing this early?* her mind finished. *Great, now you got the words,  
just say them aloud!*  
  
"Do I ever what, Rika?" Ryo asked her. *What's going on?*  
  
"...do you ever..uh..sing in the shower?" Rika finally spat out. She just wanted to die.  
  
"Huh?" Ryo was confused. "Um---no, not really..."  
  
"Oh, I thought so," Rika was vexed with herself. She grinned nervously and walked away.  
  
Ryo looked after her strangely. *I know she's nervous but...what did she really want to ask me?*  
  
Rika put money in a soda machine and punched the button of the soda she wanted, half angry, half  
disappointed in herself. *Why can't I tell him that? I've got nothing to lose.* She sipped the  
grape soda. *Except my diginity.* Rika was appalled at her lack of bravery.  
  
  
'Cause I'm feeling nervous  
  
Trying to be so perfect  
  
'Cause I know you're worth it  
  
You're worth it, yeah!  
  
  
After finding nothing interesting to watch, Ryo turned off the TV. He walked around in the lobby,  
thinking to himself. Ever since that strange question, Rika had been avoiding him all day. *Is  
she mad at me?*  
  
*A week until...until...* Ryo opened the window and gratefully breathed in fresh air. *It's now  
or never.*  
  
"But I can't do it until I figure out what SHE wants." Ryo said aloud. "What did she want to ask  
me?"  
  
It took about two minutes for Ryo to replay all of the their recent conversations. In the end,  
Ryo's sagacity figured it out. *Could it be...? Could she want the same things I do?*  
  
"Only one way to find out." Ryo left the building and got into his car. Before he knew it, he  
found himself thinking about a restaurant for a wedding reception.  
  
  
If I could say what I want to say  
  
I'd say I want to blow you...away  
  
Be with you every night  
  
Am I squeezing you too tight  
  
  
Rika collapsed when she came home. She threw herself on the couch and kicked her shoes off. *So  
tired...*  
  
When she finally mustered up the strength to go get a glass of water, she noticed that no one  
was home. "Mom?" she said, walking through the vacant house. "Grandma?" She then saw a note on  
the fridge. "Dear Rika," she read. "Taken your grandmother to the hospital. Signed Mom."  
  
*I haven't seen Mom since I came home again.* Rika felt a bit sad. *Doesn't she want to see me?  
...what did I do?*   
  
She jumped as the phone rang. She picked it up, hoping that it was her mother calling. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Rika." said Ryo.  
  
Rika tried her best to sound cheerful. "Hi."  
  
"You sound sad." Ryo immediately noticed. "What's up?"  
  
"Just a little tired, that's all."   
  
"Oh---"  
  
"Oh what?"  
  
"Then---this totally messes it up---"  
  
"Messes what up?"  
  
"I was going to invite you to have dinner with me tonight but if you're feeling tired---"  
  
"No, it's OK." Rika said. "Of course I want to have dinner with you tonight."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Ryo, stop being so stubborn. Yes, I'm sure."  
  
"Great. I'll pick you up at 8. I need to ask you something."  
  
"Ask me something?" Rika wondered what it could be.  
  
"Yeah. See you tonight."  
  
"Wait---Ryo!" He had already hung up. Rika pouted. *What in the world does he want to ask me?*  
  
  
If I could say what I want to see  
  
I want to see you go down..on one knee  
  
Marry me today, guess I'm wishing my life away  
  
With these things I'll never say  
  
  
Rika was just putting on her earrings when the doorbell rang. She quickly put on the other earring  
and rushed to open the door.   
  
"Hi." Ryo said, standing outside. He gave her a bouquet of flowers.  
  
"Thank you." Rika said. "Come on in."  
  
As she was putting water into a glass vase, Ryo tried to say something, but he couldn't find the  
right words. Rika looked at him. "Something wrong?"  
  
"Nope." Ryo said innocently. "Nothing."  
  
Rika laughed. "You're so silly." she put the flowers in the vase and set it on the kitchen table.  
"Shall we get going?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, good idea." Ryo said, all jumpy and nervous.  
  
* * *  
  
  
Rika sensed it. There was something wrong with Ryo. All night he was quiet and nervous, like he  
really wanted to say something but his concious was holding him back.  
  
"This restaurant is really beautiful." She looked around at the sparkling fountains. "Makes you  
think of peaceful places."  
  
"Hmm."   
  
"Ryo?" She turned towards him and looked at him straight in the eye.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Are you OK? You've been acting really weird all night and it's making me worried."  
  
"Worried? Why?"  
  
"I don't know---wait, didn't you say you have to ask me something?"  
  
"That's right." Ryo said.   
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Uh---it's a rather embarrassing thing, really."  
  
"Oh, I see. You don't want to ask it here?"  
  
Ryo shook his head. "What do you say we---"  
  
"---get out of here?" Rika finished for him.  
  
"Good idea."  
  
  
What's wrong with my tongue  
  
These words are slipping away  
  
I stutter, I stumble   
  
Like I've got nothing to say  
  
  
"Ryo, for the last time, whatever you have to say, spit it out!" Rika said, while they were walking  
through the park.  
  
"OK---" Ryo gulped. "But this isn't going to be easy---and remember---you can always say no and  
I'll still understand---"  
  
"Say no?" Rika said. "To what?"  
  
Ryo took a deep breath and slowly went down on one knee. He drew something from his pocket.   
  
Rika instantly knew. "Oh my God..." she said, her mouth open.  
  
"Rika Nonaka..." He said, opening the black velvet box, revealing the most beautiful diamond Rika  
had ever seen, "Will you marry me?"  
  
"Oh my God---" Rika said again, her eyes going from Ryo to the ring. *He---he actually did it.*  
  
Ryo was looking up at her, hopeful. His nervousness had gone. Most of it, anyway.   
  
As soon as Rika took a catch on reality, she knew the answer. *This is what I want. She smiled at   
him. "Yes."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Yes. I'll marry you." She got tears in her eyes and dropped down to hug him.   
  
"Are you serious?" Ryo gasped out. She was hugging him too tight again.  
  
"Yeah, I'm serious!" She kissed him.  
  
Ryo laughed and put the ring on her finger. This time he hugged HER.  
  
  
'Cause I'm feeling nervous  
  
Trying to be so perfect  
  
'Cause I know you're worth it  
  
You're worth it, yeah!  
  
  
Ryo's mind was still reviewing the events of twenty minutes ago as the city lights sped by. He  
looked down at Rika, who was sleeping, hanging onto his left arm. He smiled at her. *I can't  
believe she actually said yes.*  
  
"Wow." he said aloud. "What did I just do?"  
  
  
If I could say what I want to say  
  
I'd say I want to blow you...away  
  
Be with you every night  
  
Am I squeezing you too tight  
  
  
All the memories of their times together flashed through his head. He wasn't having second thoughts,  
only a fear---an unexplainable fear---of the future. *That's stupid.* He thought. *I'm going to  
spend the rest of my life with the person I love. That's all there is to it.*  
  
In her sleep, Rika was dreaming about the same things. She woke up for a slight moment, looked  
up at Ryo, and fell asleep again.  
  
  
If I could say what I want to see  
  
I want to see you go down..on one knee  
  
Marry me today, guess I'm wishing my life away  
  
With these things I'll never say  
  
  
  
With these things I'll never say....  
  
  
  
  
...end of Chapter X!  
  
  
  
  
P.S. Yes, I know, I know, that totally stunk! My worst writing ever. So sappy, wasn't it? I'm an awful  
author, aren't I? Please tell me what you think. Ugh...this is the first time I haven't been satisfied  
with a final piece of work. Oh well...*imitates Scarlet from Gone With The Wind* tomorrow is  
another day... 


	12. It's Official

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
  
Chapter XI  
"It's Official"  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Sunlight streamed through the windows as Rika squinted at it. She pulled the cover over her head.  
*Go away.* her mind whined, like a little girl not wanting to go to school.  
  
In a short amount of time, the room had filled with morning sunlight. Rika's eyes fluttered open  
as she looked around, wondering why she wasn't in her normal room at home, or even her dorm room.  
She didn't know this place.  
  
She turned in bed and her eyes fell upon a picture of herself on top of the nightstand. *This  
must be Ryo's room.* she figured out. She was still dressed in her clothes from last night, and   
there as no sign of Ryo.  
  
She rubbed her eye sleepily and realized there was something on her hand. Rika held her hand out  
and saw the ring. *Oh yeah.* she remembered, and grinned. She examined the ring. *It's so  
lovely. And pretty big too,* she noticed.   
  
Suddenly, the door opened. Ryo came in, carrying a tray with two cups of coffee. "Hey, you're up."   
he smiled at her. "Good morning."  
  
"Good morning." She yawned and stretched her arms. "Is that decaf?"  
  
"No." Ryo said. "Should it have been?"  
  
"No, it's perfect. Thanks." Rika took the cup from him and sipped it gingerly, blowing.  
  
"Check out how long you slept in." Ryo said.  
  
Rika glanced at the digital clock. "9:30."  
  
"Did you have a nice dream?"  
  
"Yeah." Rika remembered her dream. "It was great."  
  
"Well, you'd better get up now." Ryo went to the window and pulled the curtains open.   
  
"Where'd you sleep last night?" Rika asked.  
  
"The sofa." Ryo replied. "Watched the late shows."  
  
"Couldn't seem to sleep?"  
  
"Nope. Not until 12 anyway." He sat down at the foot of the bed. "I went back to your house to  
drop you off, but no one was there. So I just brought you back here."  
  
"Your room is a mess." Rika sat up, noticing the piles of junk of the floor.  
  
"Well, I rarely get to clean it. Being in school in Sapporo and all."  
  
"Then who stays here?"  
  
"A friend. My roommate. He keeps it tidy."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Rika asked. "Doesn't look like it."  
  
"Not this room, though. The rest of the apartment is pretty nice."  
  
"I'm honored you let me sleep in such a wonderful room." Rika teased.  
  
"No, this is MY room. There's another room. I specifically asked him not to go in here. Privacy,   
you know. Wouldn't want him to read the countless love letters I wrote you." Ryo grinned.  
  
"Ryo!" she laughed.  
  
"I only stay here about three times a month, when I come to visit my dad."  
  
"Don't you stay with your dad?"  
  
"No."  
  
Rika looked away. "Oh..." She remembered something. "Ryo?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Can we...keep this to ourselves for now? At least until this thing is over." Rika said.  
  
Ryo nodded. "Of course. We'll tell everybody when you're ready to."  
  
He got up and put on his jacket. "Well, I'm going to go get breakfast now."   
  
"No, please don't, you've done so much already." Rika said with a hint of guilt.  
  
"It's OK, really. I want to. I didn't get it earlier because I didn't want to leave you alone too  
long. You should've seen the line at the store, I mean, a mile long and---"  
  
"Ryo?" Rika grinned widely.   
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Everything."  
  
Ryo understood. "No problem." He bent down to kiss her forehead. "You just make yourself at home.  
I'll be back in a little bit."  
  
"Bye."   
  
Rika watched him go out the door and sank back into the warm comfort of the pillow and comforter.  
*I'm so lucky to have someone like Ryo. He's such a great guy. What did I do to deserve him?*  
  
She smiled when she looked at the diamond on her hand. *And now I'll be with him forever.*  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hey, does anyone know where Ryo and Rika are?" Takato asked. "It's almost 10 o'clock and they're  
not here yet."  
  
"Maybe they got eaten by wild Digimon!" Kazu joked in a menacing voice.  
  
There was yells of "Kazu!" and "No way!" from the group. Just then, Rika came bounding into the room,  
followed closely by Ryo.  
  
"Sorry we're late," Rika took off her bag and put it in her chair.  
  
Jeri noticed something immediately in Rika. She eyed her friend suspiciously. "OK. Out with it."  
  
"What?" Rika looked back at Jeri innocently.   
  
"Why are you so giddy this morning?"  
  
"I had a great sleep."  
  
"Oh, really?"  
  
"Yes!" Rika said in a final sort of voice. She then noticed that she had not yet taken the ring off  
her finger. She quickly took it off and stuffed it in her bag, but not quickly enough, for the  
glittering light caused by it caught Jeri's attention.  
  
"What's that?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Nothing." Rika said quickly, zipping up the bag, but by accident, not all the way. "Nothing at all."  
  
"It was something." Jeri said. "Something very shiny."  
  
"It was just a coin," Rika desperately tried to change the subject. "Beautiful morning, isn't  
it?"  
  
"Yeah it is," Jeri looked out the window. "It's gonna be sunny all day..."  
  
Rika chose this oppurtunity to run away. Jeri looked after her. "You're hiding something, Rika...  
and I'm going to find out what."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Ryo, bad news." Rika said as soon as she saw him.  
  
"What is it?" Ryo turned away from his computer to look at her. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Jeri's suspecting something." Rika said.  
  
"About---?"  
  
"Yes! She---kinda saw the ring."  
  
"Wait, wasn't this your idea to keep it secret?"  
  
"Yes, yes, it was, but now---"  
  
"Uh, Rika?" Ryo shook his head vigorously at her not to continue.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Rika---" he pointed behind her.  
  
"Ryo, what are you...? Anyway, this is gonna be hard to keep secret--"  
  
"Keep what secret?" said a voice that sounded oddly like Kenta's. Rika turned around to see that  
the entire group was standing right behind them.  
  
"I tried to tell you," Ryo gave a dry laugh.  
  
"Oh, hey, guys, whatcha doin' there?" Rika asked, smiling nervously.  
  
"We know." Henry said, showing her the ring.  
  
"Where did you get that?" Rika said indignantly. "You haven't been going through my backpack, have  
you?"  
  
"No." Jeri said, stepping up. "It fell out."  
  
"Oh, crap!" Rika cursed. "I must not have zipped it up all the way!"  
  
"How long have you guys kept this from us?" Kazu said in a dramatic, broken-hearted voice.  
  
"We just got engaged last night," Ryo admitted.  
  
"OK then." Kazu sounded satisfied.  
  
"Ryo, can I talk to you? NOW?" Rika motioned toward the other room.  
  
"Uh, yeah, sure." Ryo looked back at them, afraid.  
  
"He's getting it." Takato said, sighing.  
  
* * *  
  
  
"We need to talk about this." Rika sat down on the lobby sofa.  
  
"I don't see what the big deal is about." Ryo said.  
  
"I don't know---it's---it's weird." Rika got up again, pacing back and forth. "Are we rushing  
into this, Ryo?"  
  
It was as if Ryo had never heard anything like that in his life. "You...don't want to do this, do   
you?"  
  
Rika sighed. "I---I---I'm just scared," She stopped pacing. "Especially with what happened with  
my parents..."  
  
Ryo was silent. He didn't really think about that.  
  
She noticed his expression. It was like she knew what he was thinking. "Look..." she went and sat  
down next to him. "I want to get married. I mean, I really do. Don't you?"  
  
"Of course I do, I'm just confused." He said.  
  
"But..." Rika frowned. "We really haven't thought this over, you know?"  
  
"Yeah." He turned to look at her. "Tell you what, why don't we just forget about this until everything's  
OK again?"  
  
"Deal." She smiled and hugged him. Then she was feeling happier than ever. "Ryo, you know I love  
you, right?"  
  
"You do?" Ryo said sarcastically. Then he said more seriously, "Yes, I do."  
  
"Do you love me?" Rika said in a kiddy voice pouting.  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
"Ryo!"  
  
He laughed. "I'm kidding---of course I do."  
  
* * *  
  
"What's going on?" Kenta whined. "You guys aren't letting me listen to anything."  
  
"Shh!"  
  
The entire group was pressing their ears against the door, listening.   
  
"Can I go then? Because I missed breakfast this morning and I'm hungry..."  
  
"SHH!!"  
  
"Sounds like they've worked things out." Jeri whispered, smiling.  
  
"So it's official," Henry nodded. "They're getting married."  
  
"Wow, do you realize that now that they're getting hitched, nothing's ever going to be the  
same again?" Kazu said.  
  
"Of course it'll be the same," Takato gave him a reassuring smile. "Ryo and Rika'll just be married..  
it won't stop them from being friends with us. They'll just be closer friends with each other."  
  
"Right."   
  
"Well let me the one to say finally!" Kenta said. "I mean, after all those years..."  
  
"It is very romantic, isn't it?" Jeri said dreamily.  
  
"To Ryo and Rika!" Kazu said, and everyone held up their soda cans. "May they have a long and loving  
life."  
  
But deep down in their hearts, they all doubted that.  
  
  
  
...end of Chapter XI!  
  
  
  
A/N: The Digi-Battle comes up shortly after this. A bit of a spoiler for ya: Ryo DOES get captured  
by the D-Army! Good job, Akino Ame! ;D How, and what happens after that, you'll find out in chapters  
XIII and XIV(thirteen and fourteen)! 


	13. Tragedy Strikes

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
  
Chapter XII  
"Tragedy Strikes"  
  
  
  
A/N(author's note): Soooo sorry for the delay. I've just been caught up with midterms and other stuff. Not to mention  
one of my fave hobbies, reading manga! I just got into a new one, Chobits by Clamp. It's great! My Japanese  
is like crap, so I've got to read the translated ones! ::pout:: I can't wait for volume 5. Wow, I've gone off at a bit of a   
tangent, haven't I?   
  
Anyway, so now you know what this chapter is about. You'll have to bear with me if this sucks; because  
I'm more of a romance-drama-any other category writer than an action writer. Plus, I felt so stupid when  
writing this that I kinda put it off for a long time. Why is it that action stories are so much better when you read   
them then when you write them yourself? ;D I also went on a HUGE writer's block. Excuses, excuses.. Anyway, I hope   
you like and as always, plz tell me what you think by reviewing. Not to mention that reviewing will also help keep   
this fic up. ...enjoy I guess...  
  
  
PS: Nothing *really* happy in this chapter. Except the Ryo and Rika will grow closer and have a deeper  
bond. Nothing more.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
"Alarming reports have shown that unidentified creatures are mysteriously appearing in all corners  
of Tokyo as of thirty minutes ago. They seem to be combining with one another in the heart of West  
Shinjuku. Authorities have warned all citizens to stay indoors and together with your loved ones  
until this matter is resolved. Further developments show that this may be connected with the appearance  
of strange entities called Digimon years ago. Stay tuned for recorded footage of the attack on  
West Shinjuku, and the world, when we come back."  
  
Rika clicked the TV off. She turned towards her friends. "This isn't good."  
  
Takato agreed. "This is happening too fast; we're not quite ready yet."  
  
"I can see it from here." Jeri was at the window, pointing out at the city. "It's near the shopping  
district; seems to be closing off at the corner of---" she squinted. "9th and some other street."  
  
"Where's Yamaki?" Henry looked around. "Why is he leaving us at a time like this?"  
  
"He said he was going to get something. Make some arrangements." Kazu said, biting into an   
energy bar. "Protein bars, anyone?"  
  
They all looked at him strangely. "How can you even eat right now?" Rika asked.  
  
"Gives me energy," Kazu shrugged. "Clears my mind. Helps me focus."  
  
"I'll take one!" They all said, and Kazu laughed.  
  
Then, Ryo came into the room. "I just got off the phone with the commander of the military."  
  
"What happened?" Takato asked. "Are they going to---"  
  
"Yeah, they've agreed to help us create a diversion."  
  
"That's wonderful!" Rika then thought of something. "But then---there's a risk that---"  
  
"Some people may be killed." Ryo nodded, looking down.  
  
Everyone was silent, not sure of how to respond. Rika sighed and put on her sweatshirt. "Well, I  
say we give Yamaki a call and tell him about this."  
  
"Good idea." Jeri pulled out her phone. "But I tried reaching him before and---"  
  
"Sorry I'm late," said a voice. Yamaki stepped in.  
  
A big sigh of relief came to them and they all rushed over to ask him questions.  
  
"I was out making a few last changes to the virus. Here's the plan. I already called the commander  
and the military's going---"  
  
"---to help us, we know." Takato said.  
  
"...ok, then. While they're using their tanks and helicopters to distract them, the D-Army's smarter  
than that. It'll know about the plan. And based on its size right now and growth rate, it's intelligence  
will more than double in a matter of minutes. It'll know not to pay attention unless it's got a real,  
live, human being with knowledge about Digimon. That's where you'll come in, Ryo."  
  
"OK." Ryo was listening.  
  
Rika looked at him nervously, but didn't say anything.  
  
"...so you'll lead the D-Army, combined, to the bridge connecting over to main Tokyo. There, our  
tech teams will be hidden, waiting to implant the virus into the D-Army using the massive signals  
it's giving off. But since we can't afford to be figured out, we'll have to stay a distance of  
at least 100 meters from it at all times or the signals will be jammed. We've seen that because it's  
putting most of it's energy into increasing its' strength and intelligence, it isn't very fast.  
It's top speed is about 10 miles an hour."  
  
Kazu laughed. Everyone looked at him. "Sorry."  
  
"What will we do?" Jeri asked.  
  
"You'll stay on the field, ready to engage the backup copies of the virus in case the first one fails.  
Everyone understand?"  
  
They all nodded, throats too tight to speak. Just then, Rika's cell phone rang. "Excuse me," she  
said, picking it up and rushing out of the room.  
  
Yamaki continued, "We'll be putting this plan into action in THREE hours. So I suggest you all do  
what you have to."  
  
The ground shook as a minor earthquake hit. Within a matter of seconds, it was over. Everyone  
looked around nervously. "Are you OK"s were exchanged as Takato ran to the window. "Yamaki!" he called.  
"I swear, it's bigger than it was before."  
  
"Massive data spikes must be what's causing these mini-earthquakes." Henry said.  
  
Rika came back into the room, panicking. "I'm sorry, everyone, but my grandmother's just gone into  
intensive care."  
  
They all gasped.  
  
"I've got to go to the hospital. Ryo, take me there?"  
  
"Yeah, of course." Ryo got up.  
  
"Wait, will you be back in time to---" Yamaki said.  
  
"I don't know. I'll be in touch." She rushed out the door.  
  
"Oh no," Jeri said. "Why does bad things have to happen before bad things?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Miss, you can't go through here," the receptionist said.   
  
"My grandmother's in here," Rika said, panting. "I've got to go see her."  
  
"Rika Nonaka, is it?" the receptionist asked. "Your mother's here too, but I'm afraid that there's  
nothing you can do now. Please, leave the doctors to their work."  
  
"But---"  
  
"Please take a seat. I understand that---"  
  
"No, you don't understand, that's my grandmother in there---"  
  
"Rika," Ryo said. "She's right, if there's nothing you can do right now, then..."  
  
Rika knew that he was right. "Fine." she grumbled and collapsed into a waiting room chair. "What  
happened? How could this---what went wrong?"  
  
"Don't blame yourself." Ryo put his arm around her.   
  
"Where's my mother?" she said, looking around. "I haven't seen her since I came home again..."  
  
"I'm sure she's here..." Ryo got up and looked around. "Yes! She's right here, Rika..."  
  
"What?" Rika went over to the other part of the waiting room and saw her mother sitting in a chair.  
She was shocked. No longer did Rumiko look like a pretty model, but now a sad and worried person  
who looked like she wasn't capable of smiling. "Mom?"  
  
Rumiko looked up. "Oh, Rika, thank goodness---"  
  
Rika hugged her mother. "What's wrong? I've never seen you so sad---"  
  
"It's your grandma." Rumiko said sadly.  
  
"I know that, but---"  
  
"Do you know?"  
  
"Yes." Rika said. "About the cancer and..."  
  
"Do you know what type of cancer?" Rumiko regretted telling her daughter about this.  
  
"No..." Rika cursed at herself for not asking. She had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
  
"Brain cancer." Rumiko choked out.   
  
Rika turned away, her mouth open, her whole body numb. She couldn't get any words out.   
  
Ryo spoke up. "But what happened?"  
  
Now Rumiko was crying. "We were just at home, and she started to have a seizure and before I knew  
it, she collapsed and I just remembered dialing an ambulance..."  
  
Rika still couldn't say anything. Her expression was blank. At long last, it seemed like her   
soul had returned to her body and she said, "How long ago?"  
  
"30 minutes."  
  
*That was when the D-Army started showing up!* Ryo thought. *I wonder if...no...it can't be...*  
  
Ryo's cell phone rang. He quickly went away to pick it up. "Yeah...it's me, yes. What? Already?  
But...final preparations? But I can't...not now...but---OK, OK!...fine. Rika? I'm not sure...I'll   
ask. I'll be there shortly, yes. Yeah, OK, bye."  
  
"Who was it, Ryo?" Rika asked.   
  
"Um, Yamaki." Ryo said. "He said that the D-Army is developing faster than ever. I've got to get going  
now."  
  
"Then I'll go with you." Rika said. Her heart was torn between staying with her mother  
and grandmother and going to save the world.  
  
"No," Ryo said firmly. "You've got to stay with your mother. Especially with everything that's  
happened with your grandma, and---"  
  
"But..."  
  
"NO, OK?" Ryo said. "I can't do that to you. Your mother needs you right now."  
  
Rika looked back at her mother. She knew he was right.  
  
"Well, if you're going to go..." she unhooked her necklace, the one with the purple heart and the   
'R' and symbol for "love" written in diamonds on it. "Take this then."  
  
"Rika---"  
  
"It's the most precious thing I own, partially because it's from you." She laughed at bit, altough  
her eyes were full of sadness. "It's a symbol of everything we've been through, Ryo." Rika started  
to get tears in her eyes.   
  
"OK." Ryo took the necklace and put it in his pocket. He hugged her. He felt as if they had grown  
even closer and that the words 'precious' and 'symbol' somehow made them that way.  
  
"Just promise me something..." Rika said. "That you'll come back to me in one piece, 'k?"  
  
"I promise." He kissed her forehead.  
  
"I can't lose you." Now she was crying.   
  
"You won't." He said. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too." She hugged him again. "Now go before I start holding you back."  
  
Ryo kissed her. "I'll be back. I still have to marry you, remember?"  
  
She laughed in spite of her tears. "I'm going to keep you to that."  
  
"You'd better. Bye then---"  
  
"Go kick some D-Army butt for me!"  
  
"I will!" He waved to her and she watched him leave.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"So what's happened?" Ryo asked as soon as he entered the building.  
  
"They've more than tripled in size." Yamaki said, pointing at the satellite images. "In only thirty  
minutes."  
  
"How are they doing this?"  
  
"That's the question. ...energy? Electricity?"  
  
"Look!" Jeri yelled from the window.  
  
They all ran over and saw that cords were extending from the mass and were attacking people from  
all different ends.  
  
"What are we going to do?" Jeri was afraid.  
  
"Looks like we've got to speed it up, and fast." Henry turned towards Yamaki. "Is that right?"  
  
"Yes, that's right. And also---"  
  
"Wait, what are those pink jets of light?" Takato said.  
  
"Those look like data streams---" Ryo said.   
  
"Data streams?"  
  
"Remember when we were in the Digital World and all those data streams kept sucking us up and transporting  
us to other places?" Henry said.  
  
"I remember..." Takato nodded. "But why are they here?"  
  
"Check out the data the D-Army's emiting!" Kazu was checking reports on the computer. "That's what's  
been causing the data streams."  
  
"Come on. We've got to get going." Yamaki told them all.  
  
"Right."  
  
They all gulped.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"The gigantic green blob brings back memories of a similar mass---a red one---that appeared seven  
years ago. But instead of deleting, this one just seems to be causing more destruction by the  
hour. Further analysis shows that---"  
  
Rika sighed as she watched the television reports at the hospital. *I feel so useless.*  
She turned towards her mother. "Do you want anything, Mom? I'm going to head down to the cafeteria."  
  
"Nothing for me, thank you."   
  
"Are you sure? You look tired. How about some coffee?" Rika was concerned.  
  
"Well, all right...domo arigatou."   
  
"No problem. I'll be right back. Call me right away if...if there's any news---"  
  
"Of course."  
  
Rika forced a smile. She hugged Rumiko and went towards the elevator. But before the elevator  
door even opened...  
  
"Rika!"  
  
Rika turned and saw that her mother was calling her. She rushed over. "What is it?"  
  
"It's your grandmother---the doctors say---"   
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I don't know---they just started rushing in there---"  
  
Rika started breathing fast. She was scared. But what could she do? She was forced to be cast aside.  
"It's OK, Mom...all we can do now is wait."  
  
What was ten minutes felt like ten days for Rika. She didn't know what to do. She was already  
angry with herself for not being of any use to her friends, and now she wasn't any use to her  
grandmother either. But her mind wasn't focused on that for long, as she found herself worrying  
about Ryo. *I guess he'll be OK...* she tried to convince herself. *He's been in tighter spots...*  
but she couldn't think of any other tricky times.   
  
After fifteen more minutes the doctor came out, his face sad and full of sympathy. "Ms. Nonaka...?"  
  
"Yes?" Rumiko looked up. "What's the news, Doctor? Is she going to be all right?"  
  
The doctor swallowed a lump in his throat. "I'm sorry. The cancer has spread too far."  
  
"Nani?!" Rika immediately jumped out of her seat. "What are you saying?"  
  
"It's time."   
  
"No!" Rika said, looking at her mother, who appeared to be in emotional shock. "There---there must  
be something you can do---anything---"  
  
The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry. We've tried. She's still alive, but barely. It's only a   
matter of time."  
  
Rika wiped away a glimmer of a tear in her eye. "Can we...?" she motioned toward the door.  
  
"Of course. I'm sorry." he said again.  
  
"Thank you for everything." Rika walked over to her mother. "Mom? Are you OK?"   
  
Rumiko nodded placidly. "Yes...I'm fine. What did the doctor say?"  
  
"That it's too late." Rika said with difficulty. "We can see her...say--good--good--" She couldn't  
bring herself to finish the sentence. "Are you coming?"  
  
"I'll be there in a minute." Rumiko said. "You go first."  
  
"All right."  
  
Rika walked slowly to the door. She felt like her legs were ice, and that they weren't cooperating  
or functioning properly.   
  
She looked back at her mother to see that she was crying.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ryo? Are you OK, man?" Kazu asked.  
  
"Um, yeah, I'm fine." Ryo forced a smile. He had an unexplainable pain in his chest.   
  
"You must be nervous." Kazu said knowingly. "I'd be too."  
  
"Yeah." Ryo think he knew what it was. *Rika must really be hurting.* He had always felt like  
they were connected.  
  
Yamaki came over to them. "All Ready?"  
  
"Ready." Everyone said together.  
  
"Move out!" Kazu said, and everyone looked at him.  
  
"We're not in the army," Kenta pointed out.  
  
"I know, but I've always wanted to say that."  
  
*He's so garrulous.* Jeri thought. "Listen, now's not the time for jokes." She said seriously. "We're   
up against a very serious matter."  
  
"It's just as we conjectured," Yamaki continued. "It's heading right for this building because it  
can sense the brains full of Digital knowledge. Now, we're going to head out, and I want Takato,  
Henry, Kazu, Kenta and Jeri to assemble with the Tech Team."  
  
"'kay." Jeri said. Takato could tell that she was trying to be strong, but was scared out of her  
mind.  
  
* * *  
  
  
The sky was gray, the air was chilly. The tension was high. Everyone at the site had to dodge   
data streams to get from one place to another. Ryo drank the last of his energy drink, sighing.  
  
"OK, something's wrong."   
  
Ryo turned around to see Jeri standing there, her hands on her hips. He forced a smile. "No, everything's  
fine. Why would you say that?"  
  
"It's Rika, isn't it?"   
  
Ryo nodded silently.  
  
"You wanna tell me what happened?" Jeri asked.  
  
"She's...incredibly sad. It's like I can feel her sadness."  
  
Jeri was taken aback. *...their connection really IS deep.* "So that's why you're so down?"  
  
"I---I just want to go there and comfort her, you know? Make it all better." Ryo frowned. "I just  
can't stand it when she's sad."  
  
"I understand." Jeri said.  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"Yeah. My parents once had that connection. Before my mom died. I can't begin to tell you how sad  
I was. Whatever it is that is causing Rika's sadness, it must be great."  
  
*Maybe...her grandmother...* Ryo gulped. *No...that couldn't be...could it? There's no other explanation  
for it...poor Rika-chan..*  
  
"I'm sure she'll get better. She has you."  
  
"Yeah." Ryo said, not fully convinced. *Don't worry, Rika-chan...when this is all over...you'll never  
be sad again.*  
  
"Look!" a Tech Team member shouted, pointing east. "It's coming!"  
  
"This is it!" Yamaki addressed them all.  
  
* * *  
  
Rika sat down in a chair by her grandma's bed. She looked at all the machines, beeping. She had  
heard what the doctor said...but she still hoped for the better. She felt tears welling up in  
her eyes. She sniffed and wiped them away.  
  
"Grandma?" Rika said. "Can you hear me...?"  
  
*Guess not.* she thought.  
  
"Well...I just wanted to say...you always understood me, Grandma. Even when Mom couldn't...you  
knew my intentions, my feelings. You always gave me the best advice...and now I can't believe  
what it's come to..."  
  
She sniffed and wiped away more tears. "You never did anything wrong, Grandma. You don't deserve  
this."  
  
She sighed. "Sometimes...when everyone else is sad...and I couldn't understand why they were crying...  
I thought they were sorta dumb to go to such extremes for nothing...things like that make me feel  
like I have no soul or something. But I know now. Crying...is part of being human. I never thought  
that I could cry easily. You taught me so many things about life, Grandma. And after today you  
won't be here to teach me anymore...why? Why do these things happen? Can you tell me?"  
  
*I sound like a little kid.*   
  
"I know what you'll tell me...that death is a part of life. Just like love. And now I didn't even  
have the chance to tell you---I'm engaged." she laughed a little, and held up her hand. "Ryo's  
the most wonderful man in the world, and I know you'll be there when we get married...spiritually.  
And although that's good enough for me...I just wish that...."   
  
She kissed her Grandma's forehead, and stood up. "Goodbye, Grandma. I hope you'll always watch  
over me. I love you."  
  
Rika choked out a sob.   
  
* * *  
  
There was a sharp pain in Ryo's chest. He knew. *Oh, Rika...*  
  
"Whoa!" he heard Kazu yelled. "That thing's scarier than the teacher at Cram School!"  
  
Ryo looked up and saw that the enemy was coming up to them. He knew what he had to do. He stood  
his ground and saw the other vans driving away to their location as stated in the plan.  
  
His whole body was frozen in fear. Then he remembered his role. *Oh yeah! Get moving, Ryo!*  
  
He say that the enemy was ignoring every shot fired at it. It was looking at him. *It must have  
detected the amount of Digital knowledge in my brain.* Ryo thought. *Better get going.*   
  
He ran towards the van that was designated to him and started leading the D-Army blob on a chase  
across the city.   
  
"It's working!" Henry said, back where they were going to upload the virus into the D-Army. "The   
sensors we put in that van are showing that Ryo's leading it across the city...he's passed the shopping   
district...heading towards the financial buildings!"  
  
"Excellent." Yamaki picked up a walkie talkie. "Ryo, can you hear me?"  
  
  
  
"Huh?" Ryo looked at the walkie talkie on the seat next to him.  
  
"Ryo!"  
  
"Oh." He picked it up. "Yeah?"  
  
"Be prepared to stop within exactly 2.3 kilometers, that's where we are."  
  
"All right."  
  
Everyone at the base was holding their breath. Jeri turned nervously toward Takato. He gave her  
a reassuring smile.   
  
Within minutes they heard the squeal of the tires as they Tech Team started uploading the virus  
to the D-Army using the Digital signals it was giving off. "38% complete!" A tech worker shouted  
to Yamaki.  
  
"38%?! That's too slow!"  
  
"45%..."  
  
"Hurry!"  
  
"53%!"  
  
Ryo had reached the base. He stopped the van he was driving and got out quickly. He ran over to  
everyone. "Is it done?!"  
  
"Uh---" Kazu said, shaking.   
  
The enemy was showing signs of weakening. It was now roaring as it was being destroyed from the  
inside.  
  
"74%!"  
  
But the blob still had the energy to attack. It thrashed around, sending off more Digital bits  
of data then before, increasing the number of data streams. But now the weapons that the army was  
firing were taking effect.  
  
"87%!"  
  
The enemy spit out a green substance, which seemed to be gluing everything down. Now everyone  
was running to avoid it. It was mainly trying to get Ryo. He dodged one after another, but eventually  
his foot was caught in some.  
  
"It's complete!" Yamaki shouted. "The upload is completed!"  
  
They all rushed to get out as the D-Army blob roared some more.   
  
"Ryo!" Takato shouted, running over and trying to pull Ryo out.   
  
The D-Army was now literally blowing up from the inside, as if bombs were going off inside it.  
  
"Takato! Go! I'll be fine!" Ryo shouted, trying to wrench his foot out of the sticky substance.  
  
"But--"  
  
"Now!"  
  
Takato decided it would be best not to argue. He went off in the opposite direction.   
  
Just then, a huge explosion occured and knocked Ryo out. As he collapsed on the ground, Rika's  
necklace fell out of his pocket.  
  
The whole D-Army being was disintegrated, but data streams were still shooting around.  
  
Suddenly, the last of the data streams came by and sucked up Ryo, still unconcious...  
  
  
...end of Chapter XII!  
  
  
  
A/N: OK, I'm officially feeling very dumb. I know that was a bad chapter! What's happening to me?  
Maybe I'm becoming a worse and worse writer everyday. Must be stress. Oh well. Please tell me what  
you think and maybe if you're really, really nice, you'll give me some tips? Also, if you don't  
like the way it's going so far, then you can always tell me what you want to happen. Thanks for  
reading and you know the drill: review, review, review! 


	14. Ryo is Gone

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
Chapter XIII  
"Ryo is Gone"  
  
  
A/N: I'm happy to say that is a much better chapter than the last one. I'm full of inspiration  
and I've managed to make this one short(kind of). As from this chapter, Ryo is officially  
a new person(hint hint: the title). Enjoy!  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Everyone stood as still as statues, waiting for the smoke to clear. It seemed like no one could  
even breathe.  
  
Minutes later, when the air had become clear again, they all saw that the enemy was no more.  
  
At once, as if on cue, they all started cheering and hugging.  
  
"We did it!" Jeri said excitely, jumping up and down.  
  
After a solid 10 minutes of rejoicing, Takato noticed something. He turned toward his friends.  
"Hey...where's Ryo?"  
  
They all looked around. Kazu scratched his head. "Yeah, where is Ryo?"  
  
"You don't think---"  
  
"Nah! No way...can it?"  
  
"Yamaki!" Kenta called. "Help! We can't find Ryo!"  
  
"Nani?" Yamaki came over to them, still smiling. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Ryo's not here; there's no sign of him!" Jeri started to panic again.  
  
"Wait, I'm sure he's here somewhere...let's not jump to conclusions..."  
  
They organized a search party from the people that were there and started to look.  
  
Where can he be? This was the question that was on all their minds.  
  
  
* * *  
  
The wind blew by a young man's face, causing him to open his deep blue eyes.  
  
He wasn't old; about 20ish.  
  
He sat up; dazed, confused, an odd ringing in his ears. "...where...am I?"  
  
He couldn't remember anything at all. He took stock of his surroundings: he was in a wooded area,  
probably a park, but since it was the dead of night, no one was there.  
  
The wind blew again, causing the trees to shake and produce a creepy howling sound.   
  
The young man's head hurt immensely and there was a cut on his forehead. He had no idea where he  
was, or what had got him there.  
  
Worse of all, he couldn't remember his own name.  
  
"Who am I?" He asked himself. "What's my name?"  
  
As hard as he tried, he couldn't find the answers. He dug into the deepest corners of his mind   
but still didn't know.  
  
"Come on, come on, think!" he forced himself to remember. "Who are you?!"  
  
After a really long time, he remembered very little; but some. "My name...it was an R name..."  
  
"What was it? I don't remember...I don't remember anything..."  
  
He shook his head, knowing he couldn't get it. "Maybe...maybe it was Ray. Or something like that..."  
  
*I guess it'll have to do.* Ray thought. *But I still don't understand how I got here...*  
  
"Hey you!"   
  
Ray turned around. It was an old man. "What are you doing here at this hour?"  
  
"I---I don't know." Ray said, holding his head.  
  
"What's wrong with you, boy?" The old man asked.  
  
"My head---"  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
Ray hesitated. "I think...Ray."  
  
"What do you mean you think? Is it Ray or not?"  
  
"Uh---yes."  
  
The old man smiled. "I'm a security guard for this park. Doing my night rounds. Now why are you here?"  
  
"I can't remember anything..." Ray said.  
  
"Well, first of all, you need to take care of that horrible gash on your head." The old man examined  
it. "I'm Mr. Yoshida because it's my last name. No one's allowed to know my first name 'cept close  
kin, y'know."  
  
"Huh?" Ray was confused.  
  
"Come on. Let's get you outta here. Where do you live?" Mr. Yoshida asked.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Don't you know anything, boy?"  
  
"I can't remember." Ray said again. "I don't even know where here is."  
  
"Do you have amnesia or something?"  
  
"What's amnesia?"  
  
Mr. Yoshida nodded. "All right. You can come stay at my place for the night. I'll tell you something  
though, the missus won't be happy..."  
  
"Excuse me," Ray said. "But where is this?"  
  
"This is Yumi Park."  
  
"Yu---Yumi Park?"  
  
"Yes. In Kobe City...?"  
  
"I still don't know where this is."  
  
"Where are you from?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Hmm." Mr. Yoshida said. "Well, c'mon, it's darn cold out here and I'm just itchin' for a cup of  
cocoa, aren't you?"  
  
"Co-coa?" Ray said.  
  
"Never mind. Come on."  
  
* * *  
  
"Guys, we've been searching for forever." Kazu whined. "Can't we just---"  
  
"NO!" They all yelled.  
  
With that, Kazu fell silent and went over to a nearby mound of dirt, his head down.  
  
"He's right." Henry said.   
  
"Huh?" Kazu turned around.  
  
"There's no use searching anymore, not until morning anyway. That's when we can get everyone to  
help out." Henry said.  
  
"Well..." Takato was hesitant.   
  
"I think that's a good idea." Jeri said, and Kenta nodded.  
  
"All right..." Takato somehow felt that this was all his fault.  
  
"But wait..." Jeri paused. "What about Rika-chan? What do we tell her?"  
  
They were silent. Everyone was thinking of the same thing: what to say to Rika.  
  
"I guess we should just tell her what we've got so far." Kazu said in a small voice.  
  
"You think so? She'll be so crushed...worse!" Kenta feared.  
  
"Yeah, I mean, it's not everyday you get told that your fiance is nowhere to be found, right?" Jeri  
said.  
  
"So what do we do?"  
  
"I guess---we wing it. Go to see her and...the rest will pan out for itself." Henry looked around.  
"This is over, anyway."  
  
* * *  
  
Rika traced circles around the top of her coffee cup with her finger. She wasn't sure she'd ever  
smile again. She glanced up at the clock. *11:43.*  
  
*It's really late.* she thought. *I wonder what happened...I can't feel Ryo's presence anymore.*  
She was too sad to feel scared.  
  
At least she couldn't cry anymore. No, she was all cried out by now. All she wanted to do was just  
curl up into a ball and have the world just disappear. She was feeling same way she did after her   
parents announced their divorce. Except it was different. A different kind of pain.  
  
Rika got up and decided she need some air. As she walked toward the elevator to go down, she saw  
her friends coming out.   
  
They all smiled wryly.   
  
She didn't have enough strength to smile back.  
  
"What happened?" Kazu asked. "Is everything OK?"  
  
Slowly, Rika shook her head. They suddenly understood.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rika..." Jeri went to hug her friend.  
  
"What now?" Takato said to Henry. "We can't tell her now...she just lost another person who was  
really close to her..."  
  
"We have no choice, do we?" Henry said.  
  
"Can't we put it off 'til tomorrow?"  
  
"Stop procrastinating." Henry said. "Look, I understand Rika's situation, but delaying in telling  
her will make her hurt even more, thinking that the one she loves is still alive. Do you want that?"  
  
"No." Takato looked down.  
  
"So?" Rika said, her voice different from what it once was. "What happened?"  
  
"It's over. The enemy is gone." Kenta said, forcing a smile.  
  
"Yay." Rika said, trying to make it sound whole hearted. She looked around. "Where's...Ryo-kun?"  
  
They all looked at each other, nervous.  
  
"Well? Where is he?"  
  
"Oh yeah, Ryo, you know the nice guy, he went to get snacks for us all!" Kazu said. "Right guys?"  
  
"No...Rika...there's something we need to tell you." Jeri said, her eyes full of sorrow.  
  
"What is it? He isn't hurt, is he?" Rika said, worried.  
  
"Well, we don't know..." Jeri bit her lip. "Why don't you tell her, Henry?" she pushed Henry in   
front of her.  
  
"Uh...um..."  
  
"Spit it out. Why isn't Ryo here?" Rika couldn't bear the think of the worse.  
  
"The truth is..." Henry gulped. "We can't find him."  
  
"Nani?" Rika said.  
  
"After the explosion, and after all the smoke was gone, we searched and searched but couldn't  
find him anywhere."  
  
Rika was speechless. She sat down on a nearby chair, confused. "What do you mean you can't find  
him?"  
  
"We think....that maybe..."  
  
"No! No, OK? He just can't!"  
  
"We're not sure yet, we're sending out full rescue teams tomorrow, remove the rubble, everything!"  
Jeri tried to sound optimistic.  
  
"We didn't find his body, so that's a good thing right?" Kazu said.   
  
Rika didn't answer. *Where could he have gone? It's not like he can just vanish into thin air!*  
  
"Maybe the body got vaporized." Kenta said. "That is possible, right?"  
  
"Kenta, you're not helping." Kazu said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Well, you aren't either!"  
  
"Guys!" Jeri said, nodding her head towards the worried Rika.   
  
"It's going to be OK, nothing's for sure yet." Takato reassured her.  
  
Rika found herself being more frightened then she ever was. She couldn't stand the thought of   
losing him, especially after he promised to come back...  
  
*Ryo, where are you? Please be OK...*  
  
* * *  
  
  
500 miles away, the person now known as Ray slept in peace at Mr. Yoshida's house. Little did  
he know that the girl that he had left behind was thinking, worrying about him at that very  
moment.  
  
He now has no recollection of his life from an hour ago.  
  
All he can hope for is a new, better one, and maybe, just maybe...he'll have memories of his  
old life.  
  
Ray suddenly sat up, awake, from his dream.  
  
Already, there was a hint that might've been from his life.  
  
He saw a very pretty girl with beautiful flowing brown hair in his sleep. Her amethyst eyes had  
stared out at him, begging him to remember...  
  
Who was this girl?  
  
  
  
...end of Chapter XIII!  
  
  
  
A/N: Hey everyone! Sure hope you liked it! I put it up earlier than I normally would to make up  
for my long absence. I just wish I could've come up with a better name for Ryo. But Ray was all  
I could think of, and it's pretty close to Ryo...anyway, thnx for reading! See you next time! 


	15. A Heart Broken

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summerdragonfly  
  
  
Chapter XIV  
"A Heart...Broken"  
  
  
A/N: Soooo sorry I haven't updated in a long time! I DO have a life you know. =^_^= I actually went   
to see a couple of movies...but that's not the point. To be honest, I went on a bit of a writer's block(yet again).   
But here it is, finished. Hope you like!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rika groaned. She lifted her head up and rubbed her eye sleepily. She sat up and saw that she was   
in the living room of the house she had grown up in, and that she had been sleeping on the sofa.  
  
*Wow.* Rika thought. *What a dream! I can't believe I dreamt that Grandma was dead...and that   
Ryo couldn't be found...*  
  
"Rika!" Jeri came in the room. "You're up...hey guys...she's awake!"  
  
"Huh?" Rika turned around and saw that all her friends were around her. "Hey guys...what happened?   
I feel like I was hit by a bus..."  
  
They were silent. Henry turned toward Takato. "Doesn't she remember ANYTHING?" he whispered.  
  
"Dunno." Takato replied. "Hey, Rika."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Um...you don't remember anything about last night? Not at all?"  
  
"Why? What happened?"  
  
"Uh---"  
  
"I just had this crazy dream---" Rika felt her forehead. "That my grandmother died and that you  
guys told me that Ryo was gone. Weird, huh?"  
  
"Well, funny you should mention that---" Jeri said.   
  
"Guys...? What are you talking about...??"  
  
"Oh dear..." Jeri went to sit down next to Rika. "I'm afraid that what you think you dreamed wasn't  
a dream at all..."  
  
"Nani?!" Rika became more alert. "What do you mean?!"  
  
It took a while to explain everything, having to stop in between breaths to calm Rika down, who  
was becoming quite hysterical.  
  
"...and within five minutes of hearing about Ryo, I guess you became so distressed that you...  
well...kinda passed out." Jeri finished.  
  
"And then we thought it'd be best to bring you back here." Henry said. "...and let you get some  
rest."  
  
Rika was silent. She nodded. "So...it wasn't a dream."  
  
"No." Jeri said quietly. "Gomen nasai. I know this has been hard."  
  
"You guys should go." Rika said, staring blankly ahead.  
  
"No, we're going to stay here and see to you and---"  
  
"I'll be fine, Jeri." Rika said plainly. "Really, you've done enough."  
  
"But---" Jeri started to argue, but then Takato put his hand on her shoulder, and a wordless agreement  
passed between them. She turned to look at her friend. "Are you sure about this?"  
  
"Very." Rika's eyes still didn't move from the one exact spot. "Arigatou."  
  
"No problem..." Jeri stood up and left with the others.  
  
Rika heard the door close behind them. Her eyes welled up with tears and they coursed down her cheeks.  
She buried her face in her pillow.  
  
* * *  
  
  
In Kobe, miles and miles away from Tokyo, awoke Ray. He sat up and looked out at the window. The  
sun was shining, the sky was blue...you couldn't ask for a better day.  
  
Yet somehow, he was deeply disturbed by what he had seen during his sleep. A girl...she was   
undoubtedly very pretty, but her face was oddly familiar...he wondered whether or not he knew  
this girl. Who she was...her name...her relationship to him...all a blank. The only thing he   
could get was her face, and the fact that she was very sad.   
  
Mrs. Yoshida broke through his reverie. "Good morning, my dear."  
  
Ray jumped. He bowed politely. "Good morning."  
  
It turned out that Mrs. Yoshida and her husband didn't have any children and have always longed for  
a son. They rarely got any visitors and she was thrilled to have a guest in their home. She treated  
him with great hospitality.  
  
"You're so polite." Mrs. Yoshida smiled. "Would you like some breakfast?"  
  
"May I wash up first?" Ray asked.  
  
"Of course!" Mrs. Yoshida said. "The bathroom's down the hall, to the left. Let me get you some  
fresh towels and clothes from the guest wardrobe."  
  
"Thank you very much for your hospitality. I can't ever repay you."  
  
"Oh stop with the formality, already." Mrs. Yoshida grinned again. "We're happy to have you. Stay  
as long as you like."  
  
"Ariga---"  
  
"Ah ah!" she stopped him there. "No thank yous necessary. Just glad to do my part."  
  
  
  
Twenty minutes later, Ray emerged nervously into the kitchen. "Hello."  
  
Mrs. Yoshida beamed at the sight of him. "Oh, just look at you! Aren't you handsome."  
  
"Um...thanks?"  
  
"Doesn't he look handsome?" Mrs. Yoshida asked her husband.  
  
"I'll say." Mr. Yoshida said. "How old are you? 17? 18?"  
  
"21." Ray said.   
  
"Oh! So you can still remember your age. Most curious." Mrs. Yoshida said.  
  
"Hmm. 21. Perfect."  
  
"Perfect?"  
  
"Oh no!" Mrs. Yoshida glared at her husband. "You're NOT going to ask him---I forbid you!"  
  
"Ask me what?"  
  
"It's nothing, dear, my husband just likes to---"  
  
"I don't see the harm." Mr. Yoshida said. "He's the right age, it'll be great---"  
  
"He doesn't need to be in that rathole! The poor darling; lost in a strange city, no memory---"  
Mrs. Yoshida looked at Ray sympathetically.  
  
"Which is why he needs some stability! For his new life!"  
  
"But---"  
  
"With all due respect, Mrs.Yoshida..." Ray said. "I want to hear what Mr. Yoshida has to say."  
  
"See?" Mr. Yoshida said triumphantly.  
  
"Oh, all right...but he still has a choice." Mrs. Yoshida pouted.  
  
Mr. Yoshida ignored her. "How would you like to get a job, Ray my boy?"   
  
"A job? An occupation?"  
  
"Yes! It'll help you get places here!"  
  
"May I ask what the job is?"  
  
"You see, I own a bar-club type of place downtown. A real nice stop too---"  
  
"Hmph! Nice my foot!" Mrs. Yoshida said indignantly.  
  
"He'll decide that for himself!" Mr. Yoshida said. "Anyway, it's a good club, gets tons of people  
every night; and the point is that...we're in need of some help. The last bartender just resigned,  
and well---how would you like to be my new bartender?"  
  
"Uh---" Ray was confused. "What's a bartender?"  
  
"Oh, real simple job really, just make drinks and give 'em out! Of course you have to charge them---  
nothing's for free these days and---"  
  
"You don't have to take it, Ray, darling." Mrs. Yoshida intervened. "You don't have to work at  
such a shady place."  
  
"Now, none of that! After Dusk is the biggest thing right now!"  
  
"After Dusk?"  
  
"Yeah, that's the name of the place, it's a dance club and---you'll get the full details. That is,  
if you're willing."  
  
"I don't know---I should get a job since I can't stay here forever---" Ray felt guilty.  
  
"You don't have to decide right now. We can go and take a tour today. See how you like it."  
  
"Well, I guess that's OK." Ray smiled. "I'm for it."  
  
"Good!" Mr. Yoshida said.  
  
"I don't want to keep you from pursuing your goals, Ray." Mrs. Yoshida said. "And if your goal  
is to make a new life for yourself here...who am I to stop it?" she smiled. "Go ahead. I guess  
After Dusk isn't that bad a place. And if you like it---take the job. It'll be good for you."  
  
"Thank you." Ray smiled. "I'll do my best."  
  
"Great! That's a good guy. How about that tour, huh?"  
  
* * *  
  
Everyone was tense at the police station. Henry was pacing up and down, Jeri sat nervously, biting  
her nails. Kenta half-heartedly sipped a can of grape soda. Kazu kept jumping up and down, not  
knowing how to react.  
  
He looked around. Everyone seemed sad.  
  
"Hey Kenta," Kazu nudged Kenta's shoulder.  
  
"What?" Kenta threw his soda can into a nearby trash can.  
  
"Want to hear a joke?"  
  
"What's the use? You and me both know that it's just going to end in a pun." Kenta sighed.  
  
"Well if that's the way you're going to be, I really don't want to tell you the joke anymore!"  
Kazu said, but he was really joking.  
  
Kenta didn't do anything. Defeated, Kazu slumped back in his chair and fell silent.  
  
Takato looked nervously over in Rika's direction. The poor girl; she looked so sad ever since a  
week ago; when her grandmother died and she learned of Ryo.  
  
He couldn't help but feel guilty for what he did. He should've helped Ryo out of the sticky mess,  
but instead he ran for it. *I'm such a coward.*  
  
*Better be an honest coward than just a coward.* Takato took a deep breath and opened his mouth,  
but no words came out. *How can I break this to her? Without making her go off the deep end?*  
  
A couple more times he tried talking. Rika seemed to take no notice of him. Her eyes were fixed  
on one spot, as it had been for the last hour that they were there.   
  
*Don't chicken out, Matsuki. You already failed once, don't do it again.* He turned to look at  
Rika again. "Uh...Rika-chan?"  
  
"Yes?" Rika said without moving.  
  
"Can---can I talk to you for a minute?"  
  
For the first time in an hour, Rika's eyes tore away from one place. She turned toward him. "All  
right."  
  
  
  
Once they were outside, Rika looked at the sky and surroundings like she was in a dream. This  
alarmed Takato a little bit, she was looking so lost and melancholy it scared him.  
  
"Rika?"  
  
She looked at him curiously. "What is it, Takato?"  
  
"Um...I know we're going to find Ryo, we will, but uh...hypothetically speaking, HYPOTHETICALLY  
SPEAKING, if we didn't...."  
  
"If we didn't...?" She still had a possessed look on her sad face.  
  
"I just want to say....gomen nasai."  
  
"Arigatou. I appreciate it." Rika forced a little smile.  
  
"No...not just a normal apology..."  
  
Now she was really curious. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Rika..." He sat down on the edge of the water fountain. "I was there with Ryo before...before he  
went missing."  
  
"What?" She sat down next to him.  
  
"I was there with him moments before he was gone."  
  
Rika gulped. "What...what happened?"  
  
He had hesitated to tell anyone this before, not even the police. And now he had to tell the love  
of Ryo's life. "Um..."  
  
"You can tell me, Takato. I'll be all right, really." It seemed like she was out of her trance.  
  
"Well...the enemy had just spit out some really weird stuff...it was really sticky and---Ryo got  
caught in it."  
  
"Uh-huh..." Rika nodded. Part of her wanted to know, yet the other half didn't want to hear the  
horrid details.  
  
"...I'm not sure if I should be telling you this..."  
  
"Please. I have to know."   
  
"Um..." Takato's own mind wouldn't let him remember.  
  
flashback  
  
  
"It's complete!" Yamaki shouted. "The upload is completed!"  
  
They all rushed to get out as the D-Army blob roared some more.   
  
"Ryo!" Takato shouted, running over and trying to pull Ryo out.   
  
The D-Army was now literally blowing up from the inside, as if bombs were going off inside it.  
  
"Takato! Go! I'll be fine!" Ryo shouted, trying to wrench his foot out of the sticky substance.  
  
"But--"  
  
"Now!"  
  
Takato decided it would be best not to argue. He went off in the opposite direction.   
  
Just then, a huge explosion occured.  
  
  
end flashback  
  
  
"Takato. Takato." Rika shook him. "Takato!"  
  
Takato snapped back to reality. "Oh! Sorry..."  
  
"You were saying?"  
  
* * *  
  
"So that's what happened." Takato said, his head down.  
  
"Oh." she shrugged. "I see."  
  
"That's why I feel so guilty now, you know?"   
  
"Why?" Rika looked at him.   
  
"Because...I...I left, and I should've stayed there to help him."  
  
She smiled. "That's OK. You did what you had to."  
  
"No, I didn't. And---"  
  
"Look, why are you beating yourself up about this, anyway? If I'm not obesessing over this, then  
you shouldn't be either." Rika said. "Just let it go." She started to walk back in.  
  
"Hey," Takato called after her.   
  
She turned around.  
  
"We will find him."  
  
Rika stared at him. "Yeah."   
  
* * *  
  
And so it happened all too quickly. On the surface, Rika looked fine and strong. On the inside,  
she was filled with a bittersweet sadness. Even she wasn't aware of how fragile her psyche was.  
  
Yet through it all---her grandmother's funeral and reassuring her mother that everything was going  
to be OK---she didn't break down. She didn't even cry.  
  
It had been six months since everything had happened.  
  
And still, she clinged onto hope.  
  
Time slowly passed by and everyone resumed their normal lives. She even went back to college. The  
search for Ryo was still on, and she had refused to believe that he was dead.  
  
But in time, her heart painfully came to accept it.  
  
Ryo was gone.  
  
  
  
....end of Chapter XIV!  
  
  
  
A/N: Sorry if that was a little too angsty. ;D I'll write a little cheerier next time. 


	16. Three Winters Since

The Story of Us  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
by summer dragonfly  
  
  
  
Chapter XV  
"Three Winters Since"  
  
  
A/N: This takes place three years after the events of the last chapter, at Christmas time. I know   
what you're thinking. "What in the world is she doing?! Christmas is waayy over!" Yes, well, in J-chan   
Land, it's Christmas everyday! No, really, I got so caught up with school, swimming and other stuff   
that I had no time whatsoever for writing. I'm very very sorry!! Well, it might be a month late, but it's   
here...chapter 15! Hope ya like! ;D  
  
  
PS: A lot of new, made-up-from-the-top-of-my-head characters will be added in here. They'll  
all play prominent roles in upcoming chapters.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
"Rika! Over here!"   
  
Rika turned and smiled. She walked over to where her aunt stood. She was smiling and gave her neice  
a hug. "How was the flight, dear? Was it grueling?"  
  
"Obasan, it was only an hour!" Rika laughed.  
  
"Here let me help you with this," her aunt, Miho, said, taking her bag. "I expect that daughter of mine  
to be back sometime soon..."  
  
Rika can only grin and grin. She hadn't seen her cousin for the longest time, ever since they  
were toddlers. "Where is she?"  
  
"Probably stuffing her face as usual." Aunt Miho said. "It's amazing how that girl can eat and eat and  
never gain a pound. She's a stick!"  
  
Rika laughed again.  
  
"So where's your mother, darling? Didn't she come?" Aunt Miho asked.  
  
Rika shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not, Obasan. She had to stay. Some important business to attend  
to. But she sends her best wishes."  
  
"I see. I was afraid that my little sister couldn't come. After all, it has been three years since...  
since..." Aunt Miho stopped there.  
  
There was a momentary silence when they heard running feet from behind them. Rika turned around  
to see a girl with long blackish-blue(A/N: Think Jenrya[Henry]) hair coming toward them.  
  
Her jaw dropped. "Nagisa?!"  
  
"Rika!" her cousin threw her arms around her. "I haven't seen you in like 20 years! How are you?!"  
  
"I can't believe this is you, Nagisa Hayashida, you look so different!" Rika said in disbelief.  
"The last time I saw you, you were a chubby little three year old."  
  
"Thanks." Nagisa said, punching Rika on the shoulder.   
  
"I'm only kidding....partly!"  
  
"Hey mom, where's Aunt Rumiko?"   
  
"Okasan had some stuff to handle. She couldn't come." Rika answered.  
  
"Oh that's too bad." Nagisa said.   
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Oh!" Nagisa seemed to notice for the first time that she was holding a bag. "I got you some welcome   
gifts from the shop."   
  
"So that's where you were!" Aunt Miho sighed. "I thought you were pigging out on junk food again."  
  
"Hardly." Nagisa said indignantly. "Airport food is gross."  
  
"You shouldn't have..." Rika said, taking the gift bag gingerly. "I haven't anything for you..."  
  
"That's OK, you didn't know! And besides, I bet that my Christmas present is a thousand times  
better right?"  
  
"...what Christmas present?" Rika joked.  
  
Nagisa punched her cousin's arm. "Very funny. Well, open it!"  
  
Rika opened the bag and took out its contents. There were multiple things: a photo album, a camera  
and film, a mug, and a diary. "Wow, it's great, thanks so much."  
  
"You like it? I didn't know if you had brought a camera or not, but with each picture you take  
on that one, it has a little holiday caption on it."  
  
"Oh really? That's nice."  
  
"Well are we going to stand here all day? I want to get home before it snows again."  
Miho said.  
  
"It does snow a lot here." Nagisa helped Rika with her bags. "Does it snow this much in Tokyo?"  
  
"Yeah, pretty much."   
  
"I bet you'll miss it."  
  
"No, not too much. I'll be a little homesick, but I'm with family here, too, right?"'  
  
"Right."  
  
* * *  
  
"Rika-chan? All settled yet?" Nagisa knocked on the door of the guest bedroom.  
  
"Oh yeah, almost. Come in."  
  
Nagisa opened the door and walked in. "So do you like it? The parental units just had it redone. Looks  
a lot better than my place!"  
  
"It's a really pretty room." Rika noticed. "Reminds me of my apartment."  
  
"Good, that way you won't be too homesick."  
  
Rika smiled. "Don't you live here normally?"  
  
"No, I have an apartment about eight blocks from here. I'm staying only for the holidays..."  
  
"I see."  
  
"Hey, what's that?" Nagisa pointed to something glittering at the bottom of Rika's suitcase.  
  
She quickly closed it. "What's what?"  
  
"I thought I saw something glittering, like a jewel or something."  
  
"A ring? No, there's nothing in there, really."  
  
"Oh OK..." But Nagisa was still a little suspicious. "If you're all right here, I think I'm going  
to go set up dinner."  
  
"Oh wait, I've got to help you, it wouldn't be nice of me to just sit back."  
  
"No, it's OK really. Wait...would you like to eat out?"  
  
Rika shrugged. "Whatever you want is fine."  
  
"I know this GREAT restaurant downtown, and after that we can go clubbing! I mean, Tousan's working  
late at the office, and Mom's gone to set up a holiday event at her sewing club."  
  
"Your mom's in a sewing club?"  
  
"Yes---don't ask. Please."  
  
Rika laughed.  
  
"So how about it?"  
  
"I don't know, Nagisa..."  
  
"Rika!"  
  
"It's cold and snowy and..."  
  
"A Saturday night!"   
  
"But I..."  
  
"Are you 23 or 63? C'mon, it'll be fun!"  
  
"Well, we ARE reasonably young..."  
  
"I knew you'd see things my way!" Nagisa beamed.  
  
"All right, just give me a minute to change."  
  
Nagisa walked out of the bedroom with a triumphant look on her face. As soon as she had closed the  
door behind her, Rika locked it. She went back to her suitcase and opened it, revealing the engagement  
ring that Ryo had given her years ago. *I can't believe this was in here...*  
  
*I was certain I left it at home...*  
  
*It seems to follow me....wherever I go...*  
  
She looked out at the gray sky. *It's a good thing Nagisa couldn't see it too well. I wouldn't know   
how to explain it.*  
  
After all, it wasn't everyday that the love of your life disappears.  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh Ray? Can you help me hang this up please?"   
  
Ray turned to see that his coworker, Chihiro, a waitress, needed some help hanging up a large string  
of garland. "Sure, I'll be right there."  
  
He came over and took the other end of the garland, pining it to the wall. "There, is that better?"  
  
"It's a lot better, thanks." Chihiro blushed.  
  
"Anytime." He hopped down from the ladder and took her hand, helping her down. "Need anything else?"  
  
"Um---that's OK, I'll be fine."  
  
"All right then." He went off to join the other bartenders while she looked at him dreamily.  
  
"Knock it off, you're making me sick." another waitress bumped into Chihiro, breaking her reverie.  
  
"So what? I'm allowed to stare, aren't I?" Chihiro glared at the waitress.  
  
"Please, little sister, it's not like you can ever have a chance with him."   
  
"Oh shut up, Rimie." Chihiro waved her hand carelessly at her older sister by five minutes, Rimie. "I  
don't know what you're talking about. We make the perfect couple."  
  
"Ray would never go out with you." Rimie cackled.  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"Because he likes me!"  
  
"He does not!"  
  
"Does too!"  
  
"Prove it!"  
  
"All right, I will!"  
  
"Girls, girls, break it up!" an old man came between the quarreling sisters. It was Mr. Yoshida. "The  
more time you spend arguing the less time we'll have to set this place up for Christmas! And you  
know my motto---"  
  
"Time is money." The two girls dully said in unison.  
  
"Right," Mr. Yoshida nodded. "Now if you're done here, you can go help Ray and the boys set up the  
tree."  
  
The girls gasped. "Me!" they both yelled, pushing each other out of the way to get to Ray first.  
  
Mr. Yoshida sighed. "I knew it!"   
  
"Knew what?" Mrs. Yoshida popped up from behind him.  
  
"That the day I hired that boy that he would be the object of every waitress' affection in here!"  
  
"Well, he IS a very good-looking young man, isn't he?" Mrs. Yoshida smiled. "It's no wonder that  
every girl in here worships him." She looked over in Ray's direction, who was looking quite nervous,  
surrounded by a flock of waitresses.  
  
"Yes, but---" Mr. Yoshida said.  
  
"But what?"  
  
"Something's bothering him. And me."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"It's like he has a soulmate set already. Out there, somewhere."  
  
"Well we all do, dear."  
  
"I know that, but...everytime the topic of girls comes up, he always has this look on his  
face that kind of says, 'I already have someone.'"  
  
"Yes, I've noticed that too." Mrs. Yoshida remembered.  
  
"And yet we don't know she is---I mean, face it, how I met him---it wasn't ordinary."  
  
"That was when the club was still young, and you were still working as a night watchman."  
  
"Yes, and remember how he had no clue who he was, where he was, where he came from...?"  
  
"Ray has amnesia, I know."  
  
"I wonder....maybe..." Mr. Yoshida was deep in thought.   
  
* * *  
  
Nagisa came out laughing with Rika on her heels. "Nagisa!" Rika shouted. "I can't believe you got  
us kicked out like that!"  
  
Her cousin was still laughing. "Lighten up! It was nothing, really."  
  
"You threw your drink at the waiter!" Rika started laughing too.  
  
"He was being stupid, though!" Nagisa said.   
  
"How you passed the fourth grade, I'll never know." Rika smiled.  
  
Nagisa pouted, then smiled. "Two words, dear cuz: pure genius." Nagisa smirked.  
  
"How about ego maniac?"  
  
"Shut up!" Nagisa pouted. Then she smiled. "So where do you want to go next?"  
  
"I don't know. Where do you want to go?"  
  
"Well, we should get inside soon." Nagisa looked around. "It's starting to snow."  
  
"Where to then?"  
  
Nagisa thought for a moment. "Well we could always go home..."  
  
"I like that idea," Rika started to walk toward the car when Nagisa stopped her. "Hey, what's the  
big idea?"  
  
"C'mon, you agreed to going dancing." Nagisa whined.  
  
"Well, there's music at home...with a warm cozy fire and---"  
  
"Please, Rika?"  
  
"Fine, but as soon as I'm tired, we are SO going home."  
  
"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!!"  
  
* * *  
  
Everyone who lived within a twenty mile radius of After Dusk knew that it was the hottest spot in  
town. Every Friday or Saturday night tons of people retreated to the trendy club to dust off their  
stress. They would dance, drink, and just take time off with their friends.  
  
And every girl within a twenty mile radius knew that the hot bartender Ray was about the most  
eligible---not to mention cute---bachelor in the whole place.  
  
Good-looking, tall and with an oh-so-charming personality(and smile, of course), Ray could win  
the heart of any girl he liked.   
  
But all the girls knew that Ray's heart was as good as his looks. He was never interested in getting  
phone numbers with the rest of his coworkers. He didn't have to try, either. All he had to do was  
smile and the girl would be his.  
  
But there was only one girl that he wanted. The one he saw in his dream every night for the past  
three years: the girl with the beautiful flowing brown hair and the mystical lavender eyes. She always  
wore a necklace that matched the color of her eyes. A heart necklace, with an engravement on it that he couldn't  
make out. He would even spend time thinking about the silly things, like who she was, where she came from, and   
what kind of impact she had on his life. In fact, he was doing this now.  
  
"Hello? Anyone in there?" The pretty waitress Rimie waved her hand in front of his face.   
  
Ray snapped back to reality. "Oh, Gomen. What can I do for you?"  
  
"Oh nothing, I just wanted to check if anyone was home." Rimie giggled(obviously flirtatiously).  
  
Ray smiled that smile that had sent so many women into a daze. "Thank you, I kinda just got lost  
for a moment there."  
  
Rimie felt her heart beating. "Daydreaming, were you?"  
  
"Yes." Ray said. "Stupid, huh?"  
  
"No, not at all." She said dreamily.  
  
"I guess it gets the best of us sometimes."   
  
"Definitely." She was still in a trance.  
  
He looked at her strangely, then he shook it off. "Well, we need to get a few more kegs before tomorrow  
night. Excuse me," Ray touched her hand lightly, just to be sure she wasn't out of it. *OK...*   
and he left.  
  
It took Rimie a full two minutes after Ray left to realize that she was gazing out into space   
absentmindedly. She held her hand where he had touched it and could feel her face burning.   
  
"Love struck, aren't you?" another waitress came by.   
  
"How could I not be?" Rimie stared at Ray.  
  
"It's amazing how he doesn't have a girlfriend." said the waitress.  
  
"He doesn't?"  
  
"Nope. I'm surprised you don't know."  
  
"How do YOU know all this?"  
  
"Because...it's obvious isn't it? He never talks about a girlfriend, she never comes by..."  
  
"But wasn't he just dating someone a little while ago?"  
  
"They broke up. I doubt it was little more than a fling." the waitress leaned closer. "The boys  
are saying that he left her because of a dream."  
  
"A dream?"  
  
"Yeah. He must've seen an omen or something, otherwise he wouldn't have dumped her."  
  
"Hmm." Rimie smiled happily. "Well, this just means that he's on the market again."  
  
"I've been trying to ask him to dinner for about a month now, but I always get cold feet at the   
last minute." the waitress sighed dreamily. "You never know, tomorrow's Christmas Eve, so maybe  
I might get lucky."  
  
Rimie scoffed. "Whatever. Tomorrow night, I'm gonna give him the best present of all!"  
  
"And what, dare I ask, might that be?"  
  
"Me!"  
  
* * *  
  
  
Rika looked around at the snow as they drove through downtown Kobe. The scene around her looked  
wonderfully magical: tiny snowflakes falling blissfully onto the many people on the streets. Children  
were running up to the shop windows and staring through the glass happily, families were singing  
songs together while shopping, and couples ice skating together, hand-in-hand. It made Rika  
feel great to be with her family, but it also brought a pain in her heart when she saw the couples.  
  
Since Ryo had passed, she had moved on with her life. She was happy again. But as of that day,  
she knew that she would always be filled with a bittersweet sorrow.   
  
"Are you OK?" Nagisa asked suddenly.  
  
"Oh!" Rika said. "Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
"What were you thinking about?"  
  
"Nothing." she said innocently. "Just looking out the window."  
  
"You haven't answered my question."  
  
"What question was that again?" Rika said, feeling guilty that she had zoned out.  
  
"I asked if there was anyone special in your life."  
  
"Of course there is....you know, my family and my friends...I love them all."  
  
"No, silly." Nagisa laughed. "I mean...THAT kind of special...you know---a guy or something."  
  
"...no." she said casually.  
  
"I see." Nagisa said. "I just broke up with my last boyfriend. He was weird."  
  
"Oh? How weird?"  
  
"He was just totally...strange. You know, he kept blanking out during our conversations and he's  
always asking me if I knew a girl with long brown hair, purple eyes and a purple heart necklace."  
  
"Nani?" Rika was suddenly interested.  
  
"Yeah, and I said that my cousin looks like that, and he just nodded."  
  
"Really?" *I wonder if....no...that's just stupid. Can it really---??* Rika thought.  
  
"And we broke up---well he broke up with me---because he says that he didn't feel it was right. He'd  
seen something in a dream."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
"What did he look like?"  
  
"Brown hair."  
  
*How can it...be?* Rika wondered. "Be a little more specific."  
  
"He had a GORGEOUS smile."  
  
"Go on..."  
  
"And he had these enchanting eyes..." Nagisa remembered. "They were as blue as the deep seas. You can  
totally drown in them."  
  
The image of Ryo came to Rika's mind. After three years, it was still as clear as ever. She didn't waste  
a second to interrogate her cousin further. "Where is he now?"  
  
"He works as a bartender for the After Dusk."  
  
"We should go there----now!"  
  
"We are." Nagisa said. "Honestly, didn't you hear a word I said?"  
  
"I'm sorry." said Rika. "I'm just a little out of it."  
  
"Do you want to go home instead? We don't have to go tonight you know."  
  
"Are you sure?" Rika really did want to go, now that she had learned the details of Nagisa's mysterious  
ex. But then again, *I'm probably thinking crazy. Ryo? Here? Alive? Dream on, Nonaka.*  
  
"Yes, I'm sure. I care for the well-being of my cousin more than some night club."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Arigatou. Let's go home."  
  
* * *  
  
The stars were out, the snow had stopped. Kobe looked frosted after all of the snowfall. And underneath  
her warm covers, Rika Nonaka laid awake peacefully.  
  
Well, maybe not THAT peacefully.  
  
Her mind, her thoughts, her dreams were still on what Nagisa had said. She knew that she was being  
delusional. There are plenty of cute blue-eyed guys in Kobe with brown hair. Guys who have crazy  
dreams and like purple necklaces.   
  
But there was one significant purple necklace to Rika. The one she had lost when she gave it to   
Ryo three winters ago.  
  
And she matched the exact description. Brown hair, lavender eyes.  
  
Just what was going on here?!  
  
*I'm being stupid again! It's not Ryo. It couldn't be.*  
  
Just when she was absolutely certain that it wasn't her long lost love, something she had forgot  
struck her. Hard.  
  
She never asked Nagisa what his name was.   
  
And sometimes, all you need is a name.  
  
  
...end of Chapter XV!! 


	17. Rika Nonaka? A MODEL?

The Story of Us ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by summer dragonfly  
  
Chapter XVI "Rika Nonaka?! A MODEL?!"  
  
A/N: Wow, you're still reading? I thought you'd abandon this fic ten chapters back!! Lol. Thanks for anyone who's been reading all this time. I know I'm a lousy writer and I rarely update, but I try to make everything worth your time. I've gotten some emails asking if I were dead. Sorry for the lack of updates!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rika woke up to the familiar and welcoming scent of something delicious. She smiled and opened her eyes, taking in the wonderful aroma of her aunt's well-renowned hot chocolate.  
  
She really wanted to go and have some, but somehow the warmth of the bed and the atmosphere of the cozy room seemed to take all will of getting up. She sunk back into the covers and, with half-opened eyes, glanced around at the dim room.  
  
Her eyes strayed to the digital clock by her bed. *9:30.*  
  
Rika had never slept in this late for a long time. It was a nice feeling, to be lost in a sea of dreams without a care in the world, to just be able to sleep your worries away.  
  
A knock at the door broke her reverie. "Rika?" said Nagisa's cheerful voice. "Are you up yet?"  
  
She mischieviously wondered whether or not to answer. But her conscience got the best of her. "Yes, I'm awake. Come on in."  
  
The door opened and in walked a grinning Nagisa, dressed in a fluffy white turtleneck sweater and blue jeans. Her long black blue-highlighted hair was pulled back into a high ponytail held with a piece of holly attached to her ponytail holder. She was sipping a mug of steaming cocoa.  
  
Rika pouted. "Where's mine?"  
  
Nagisa rolled her eyes. "You snooze, you lose."  
  
Rika threw a pillow at her cousin. "Meanie."  
  
Nagisa dodged the flying pillow, which hit the door behind her. "There's plenty outside. Obasan's still making some more."  
  
Rika sighed and closed her eyes. "I felt like I was watching all of this...all of this happening right now...from a long dream."  
  
"Huh?" Nagisa put her mug down on the nightstand and sat down on the bed. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I just had this really long dream, only I can't remember all of it. I was watching everything in my life from my dream. It was so...surreal."  
  
"You were always the artsy one." Nagisa joked.  
  
"Yeah well it's all over now." Rika said. "Welcome to reality."  
  
"Bites, doesn't it?" Nagisa laughed.  
  
"Yes, well, I suppose I'd best be getting out of bed now." Rika threw her comforter to the other side and stepped off the bed into warm, cozy slippers.  
  
She went to the window to open the curtains, and was amazed at the sight that met her eyes. The entire city of Kobe was frosted in a blanket of silver-white powder, sparkling and twinkling with the magic of the fallen snowflakes. She felt her jaw drop.  
  
"Suteki da ne?" Nagisa said. (A/N: Translation - "Isn't it beautiful?")  
  
"Hai." Rika said in awe.  
  
"I wish I had that good a view from where I live."  
  
Rika turned around. "You mean you don't live here?"  
  
"Well, for now I do. After the holidays I'm moving back to my dump of an apartment. About eight blocks from here."  
  
"My apartment is very good either," Rika began making her bed. "I'm so lucky to be here, spending Christmas with you guys."  
  
"I'm glad you're here, too." Nagisa smiled.  
  
* * *  
  
The two cousins spent the rest of the day shopping, just as any young female would be doing around this time. Pointing out this and that, they were glad that they got this chance to bond again after such a long time.  
  
Most of their Christmas shopping had already been done, and now they sat having coffee in a little cafe next in the mall. Rika stared at her mug as Nagisa looked at passing boys. It was all the same.  
  
Suddenly a woman came by and put a flyer on their table. "And how are you ladies today?" she asked.  
  
"We're fine, thank you." Nagisa replied, looking at the flyer. "What's this?"  
  
"Well, since you two are very beautiful girls, we'd thought you'd be interested in a small modeling career."  
  
Rika spit out her coffee a little. "Excuse me?"  
  
"That's right, our clothing company has some new styles for the new year and we're looking for new models to model them. The pay is good, the hours are flexible, and you'll have a lot of fun. So are you interested?"  
  
"Well..." Nagisa finished reading the flyer, and looked at Rika. "Can we...? Please...?"  
  
"Oh, no you don't." Rika stopped her right there. "You're not dragging me into this."  
  
"Please, Rika-chan?! C'mon, try to live a little, huh?" Nagisa pleaded.  
  
"No, no, and no!"  
  
"Will you at least think about it?" the woman asked sincerely. "It's a great job oppurtunity."  
  
"Yeah, and Aunt Rumiko would be so proud." Nagisa put on big, puppy-dog eyes.  
  
"Wait, did you say Rumiko? As in Rumiko Nonaka?" the woman said.  
  
*Oh, great.* Rika thought. *Now's she's done it.*  
  
"You actually KNOW her?" the woman said in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah, Rika here's her daughter!" Nagisa said excitely.  
  
"Well, why didn't you say so?!" the woman put her arm around Rika. "Rika, darling, just let me set you up with a demo shoot, see what you think of it, hmm?"  
  
"Uh..." Rika felt uncomfortable in the woman's grasp, and she wiggled her way out, standing up and throwing away her coffee cup. "........"  
  
"It's just a DEMO shoot, honey!" the woman said, her voice as sweet as sugar. "It's not like it's a long term commitment or anything!"  
  
"Yeah, Rika! Really!" Nagisa chirped in.  
  
"That's enough!" Rika suddenly shouted in an outburst. "Err...sorry...but uh---" she put herself forth courageously. "I've made up my mind. It's not my thing, and I don't want to do it. And I'd appreciate it if you'd respect that."  
  
"Fine..." the woman sighed in exasperation. "But here's my card. Call me if you changed your mind."  
  
And with that she swept off, leaving Rika standing there, holding a business card, puzzled.  
  
"It's OK, Rika." Nagisa said. "Not everyone has to be outgoing."  
  
"What are you implying?" Rika said, turning her head.  
  
"Oh...uh...nothing!" She grabbed the rest of the shopping bags. "I think I see a sale!"  
  
"Nagisa!" Rika rushed to follow.  
  
* * *  
  
The moon was shining brightly in the already starlit sky. The snow had stopped and now everything was covered in a beautiful frost. Rika wrapped her coat around her a bit more as she stood on the balcony of her aunt's house, thinking to herself about what had happened earlier that day.  
  
*Why do I have to be like that?* she thought bitterly. *Just once...once...would I like to be normal.*  
  
But what DID normal mean anyway...? Was it materialistic? Obsessed with vanity, maybe? Rika didn't know.  
  
*I suppose it sounds like a good oppurtunity.* The economy had taken a huge dive, and Rika, along with many other people, found herself unemployed. *And Mother would finally be proud for once.*  
  
....what was she thinking? Her, a model? The whole concept was perfectly absurd! And yet...  
  
Every little girl had dreamed of putting on pretty clothes and being a beautiful model, loved by everyone and idolized. Every little girl but Rika. But now, maybe it was time to live that dream. Even though it wasn't hers.  
  
And there was another thought. It was ridiculous, and pretty desperate of her...but..*Maybe Ryo'll see me...and maybe he'll come back to me...* A small part in her heart always clung on to the small, feutal hope that he was still alive.  
  
She felt in her pocket for that business card. She held it up to the moonlight and looked at it, frowning. At last, she went inside to make a very important call.  
  
....end of Chapter XVI!  
  
A/N: Ok, so that was probably a little irrelevant to the main plot of the story. Only for now, though. It'll soon become clear what this has to do with the rest of the story. Stay tuned. XD 


	18. Who's That Girl?

The Story of Us  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
by summer dragonfly  
  
Chapter XVII  
  
"Who's That Girl?"  
  
A/N: It seems that quite a few of you are unhappy with the whole Rika-Being-A-Model concept. Well, tough luck, 'cuz it's  
  
MY fanfic!!! bwahahahahahaha!!!! *ahem* No, seriously, I thought it over and it does lead to a point, so don't worry. ^-^  
  
Not enough Ryo-ness in the last chapter...? Yo'kay. He's back in this one...as well as a few who've been missing...;)   
  
Enjoy.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rika shut her eyes tight as a makeup brush skimmed past them. She was in a chair surrounded by at least five people, all  
  
of them either doing hair, makeup, or filing her toenails. It was maddening.   
  
In the midst of it all, she just wanted to pull these people away and scream at the top of her lungs. But then, when  
  
she thought about the purpose of why she was doing this, and that calmed her down, and made her reconsider.  
  
She sighed a heavy one and opened her eyes, looking at herself in the mirror with uncertainty. *This is so not...me.*  
  
Rika had already done a demo shoot just two days ago and had gotten herself accepted without question. Maybe it was because  
  
her mother had been such a famous model that got people to look at her more. Maybe it was her natural beauty? No, it's gotta  
  
be something else.   
  
"Ok, you're all set!" The makeup artist said. "Why so glum? You look beautiful, sweetheart." She smiled at Rika.  
  
"All right then, whenever you're ready, proceed to the cameras."  
  
And with that Rika was left alone with her own doubts. A piercing scream from the door of her dressing room got her  
  
attention. Standing in the door way was...who else?  
  
"Nagisa." Rika said, forcing a smile.  
  
"Rika! You look fabulous! Terrific! Beauti----what's wrong?" Nagisa noticed it instantly.  
  
"Hmm? What do you mean? I feel fine."  
  
"Oh, come on." Nagisa took a seat in the empty chair next to her cousin. "You can't be up for a photo shoot looking like  
  
that! Cheer up!"  
  
"I...I just don't get it, you know? This is all so new to me, and I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to feel about this."  
  
"Don't worry 'bout it!" Nagisa said cheerfully. "This is only your second shoot, you have the right to be nervous."  
  
"It's not nerves, it's something else---like a gut feeling that this isn't right."  
  
"That's 'cause you're RIKA! The rebel! The tomboy!"  
  
"The unconfident." Rika sighed. "What's wrong with me, Nagisa? So many girls dream of this oppurtunity, and yet here I  
  
am, dreading it."  
  
"There's nothing wrong with you. In fact, I was quite surprised that you agreed to this. Although I really wanted you to  
  
be up for this, I had my doubts that you were going to say no. But you coming here really showed me that people are different, Rika, and people can act differently, too, even if that means contradicting themselves. And for you to do  
  
this to make your mother proud, it makes ME proud of YOU, to see you doing something that you don't even like, just for  
  
your mother. Whatever you decide, it's your decision. And I swear I won't bug you about it. Just promise me that you'll  
  
at least give it a shot, hmm?" Nagisa smiled reassuringly and exited the room, closing the door behind her.  
  
*Oh, great, just great. Now I feel guilty.* Because after all, her mom wasn't the only reason she was doing it. Was it  
  
wrong to cling onto the perhaps false hope of Ryo even being alive? *No.* Even though her heart had accepted that crucial  
  
reality a long time ago, her mind and soul believed it wasn't true. And she continued to believe.   
  
Holding her head up high, she left the dressing room, and into the blinding light of the studio.  
  
* * *  
  
Rimie could hardly believe her luck. That cute bartender Ray who she had been crushing on for the longest time finally  
  
asked her out! It was wonderful, no, magical, even. The other waitresses now looked at her with jealousy and contempt,  
  
and she looked back at them with triumph.  
  
Even Chihiro couldn't believe it. Her sister, the deceptive Rimie, had somehow managed to snare the most honest, hard working---and not to mention handsome---guy for miles around. It was a mystery how she had done it.  
  
Ray, on the other hand, found her ambition quite fascinating. He could hardly remember knowing anyone with so much fire  
  
in their eyes. And after all, she was kinda pretty, too...wait a moment. Now and again, he could remember a pair of beautiful  
  
lavender eyes shining at him, something about Rimie was reminiscent of those eyes.  
  
It was a beautiful December day as Christmas loomed ever nearer. It was a mere two days until the big day supposedly full of laughter and joy. In fact, Ray and Rimie were out shopping for last minute presents.  
  
"Oooooooh," Rimie said, peering through the glass at the beautiful clothes in the window on the manequins. "That kimono's  
  
LOVELY!"  
  
Ray refrained from rolling his eyes with immense difficulty. As much as he liked Rimie, he felt that she can be too materialistic at times. As his girlfriend stood trying to eye the price tags on the kimonos, Ray's eyes strayed to a medium  
  
sized poster with a picture of a beautiful girl on it.  
  
He felt his jaw drop.  
  
The model wearing the bright red kimono in the advertisement for Sakura Fashion's latest line was exactly---and he was quite certain of it---the girl in his dreams. He took a leaf out of Rimie's book and pressed his nose flat against the shop window staring at the poster while many people passing by eyed the pair of them most peculiarly.  
  
His eyes darted from left to right of the poster, staring at every detail the photographer could enhance in the model's picture. He stopped and gazed into the pair of marvelous amethyst eyes, unlike any other. He was lost in a trance as he stood there, looking a little strange as he stared with blinking at a piece of paper taped to a window.  
  
"Hello?! Ray, darling? Are you even listening to me?" came Rimie's voice from far away.  
  
Ray snapped out of it. "Huh, what? Oh, Rimie. Yeah?"  
  
"Let's go, the prices are way ridiculous here, I doubt we'll be able to find anything suitable for me---I mean Chihiro, my sweet little sister." Rimie said falsely sweet.  
  
"Wait, hold on a moment." Ray said, and with that he dashed into the store, leaving a very abashed Rimie behind. She chased after him.  
  
"Excuse me," Ray said when he reached the shop counter.  
  
The saleswoman looked up from her magazine, her black framed glasses drooping. "Yes?"  
  
"I was wondering if you could tell me who's in the poster in your shop window."  
  
"Listen, we got lots of posters in that window, mind being a little specific?" The woman said coolly.  
  
"Well...uh..." He raced to the window and tried to see if he could make out the lining and detail of the poster from the other side. He glanced at different angles until he had the right light, and pointed to one on the right of all the others. "This one,"   
  
"And which one might that be?" The woman didn't even get up.  
  
"The one of a girl with long brown hair and a red kimono on," Ray said impatiently. "Sakura Fashions."  
  
"Oh, her!" The woman said in realization. "Yup, a pretty one, that girl. Newest modeling sensation, they say she's got the beauty and charm of her famous mother. Agencies are trying to snatch her up."  
  
"And does she happen to have a name?" Ray said, his temper rising steadily.  
  
"Chill out, she has a name." The woman said, slightly taken aback. "Rika Nonaka, about 23-24. Why?"  
  
"Nothing," said Ray suddenly. "Thanks."  
  
Excitement. Fear. Panic. All of these things were coursing through Ray's mind quickly. Rika Nonaka? Why did that sound so  
  
familiar? He recognized that face immediately, yet drew a blank at the name.   
  
"Rika." he whispered as he was being dragged out of the store by Rimie. The name rolled off his lips softly and sounded oddly  
  
pleasant, like a feeling of warmth and comfort.  
  
This was the girl's name...the name that belonged to the beautiful girl he had seen in his dream for months....but why couldn't he remember? Who was this girl, and what is her connection with him?  
  
Rimie glanced over at her boyfriend. He looked far away and was deep in thought. She began to worry. Why was he so obsessed over that chick on the poster? She pulled on his arm harder. "Hello? Anyone in there?"  
  
"Oh," Ray said in surprise. "Uh, yeah. Sorry about that..."  
  
"So why were you gawking at that girl in the picture, anyway?" Rimie said suspiciously.  
  
"Oh nothing, I just feel like I know her...from somewhere..."  
  
"Where?" Rimie started panicking now, remembering the stories she had heard from her fellow waitresses about him dumping girls because of strange visions.   
  
"I don't remember, really."   
  
But he wanted to. More than anything in the world.  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh, they're gorgeous!" Aunt Miho cried, holding up a large picture of Rika, the same one Ray had seen earlier.   
  
Rika groaned. "They're not that fantastic," she said for what seemed like the millionth time.   
  
It had been a day since she did her demo shoot. Rika was hoping it would take longer for the shots to develope, but to her  
  
exasperation, they had come early. Along with a hearty invitation from the agency to join them as soon as possible.  
  
"Whaddya mean 'not that fantastic'?" Nagisa whipped around from her seat on the sofa, where she was previously watching the evening news. "Face it, Rika-san, you're a beauty queen."  
  
Rika buried her head in her arms and sighed heavily. "I wish everyone'd stop saying that," she said moments after, lifting her head up.  
  
"Why? It's certainly the truth." said Aunt Miho. "Darling, I really think you should consider taking up their offer."  
  
"Not you too!" Rika said, with a tired look in her eyes.   
  
"But it's so obvious!" Nagisa had gotten up and walked over to the table where Rika and Aunt Miho were sitting. "You'd get plenty of exposure, plus the cash is great."  
  
"But---" Rika stopped there. She thought for a moment. Maybe it could get better. She didn't know why she had been so stubborn in the first place. She didn't like it, but something was winning her over.  
  
"Good, you think about it." Nagisa said happily. "You'll see, I'm right."  
  
"But why didn't YOU do it?" Rika asked curiously.  
  
Nagisa shrugged. "Never fancied flashing lights."  
  
"Me neither!" Rika said.   
  
"But it's in your natural blood, Rika." Aunt Miho said gently. "You were born to be beautiful."  
  
Rika smiled sheepishly. "Thanks....but..."  
  
"Well, you DID do a first shoot, and it came back great." Nagisa persisted. "Why not continue?"  
  
Rika wondered how many more she'd have to do before getting out of it. To think of it, she wasn't working now, and it would be a cool job, having people wait on you...  
  
"I'll think about it." Rika said finally.  
  
"That's what I thought." Nagisa said, winking.  
  
"I'm tired." Rika said after some time of staring at the pictures. "I think I'll call it a night."  
  
"Good night, Rika, dear. And don't forget: tomorrow's Christmas Eve." Aunt Miho said, picking up all the photos and putting them back into their envelope.  
  
"I won't, we're going to have lots of fun." Rika grinned and went to her bedroom.  
  
* * *  
  
Meanwhile, at the Airport....  
  
"Hey, you guys, where's Kazu?" said Jeri, clutching her bag and looking around.   
  
"Uh, I think he went to get food." Takato said, also squinting around.  
  
"Again? But we just had dinner on the plane!" Henry said, groaning.  
  
"Ah well, I expect him to turn up soon." Kenta appeared from behind a large suitcase.  
  
"Oh, won't Rika be so excited?" Jeri said, her eyes sparkling. "It'll be such a great surprise?"  
  
"But I guess she had it coming, since she DID give us her aunt's address before she left." Henry said, sitting down on his suitcase.  
  
"But don't forget, my family's here too so we can all crash there." Takato said happily. "We'll go see her tomorrow."  
  
"Oh, I sure hope she's OK." Jeri said anxiously.  
  
"Why would you say that?" the guys turned to look at her.  
  
"Well...it's just...you know..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"This time, three years ago..."  
  
They all looked down. They knew what she meant.  
  
"She's sure to be livelier now," Henry said, standing up.  
  
"Yeah, Henry's right," Kenta said.   
  
"And if she isn't, we'll just have to make her lively!" Takato said reassuringly.  
  
"Ok," Jeri smiled. "Oooh, I see Kazu! And he has A LOT of food!"  
  
And they all rushed to him. Takato stopped and picked up one last bag. Rika was sure to be surprised, hopefully happy. They were doing this for her, after all.  
  
...end of Chapter XVII! 


End file.
